The former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has urged President Joe Biden to reform the nation’s stance on mar*juana. Tyson called for clemency for thousands of nonviolent canna*is offenders still held in federal prisons. As the legal can*abis market in the US burgeons, with annual sales projected to reach $40 billion, the discrepancy remains stark.
Reportedly, over 2,000 individuals, predominantly people of color, are serving sentences for actions that are now legal in nearly half of the country. This further includes recreational can*abis being legalized in 24 states. On a similar note, other celebrities, including Drake and Killer Mike, have also made a case for reforms in laws about mari*uana-related non-violent offenses.
Iron Mike makes a strong case with valid points
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Accusations of misleading messaging surround President Joe Biden’s approach to marijuana-related pardons. This comes at the heels of his campaign promise to decriminalize cann*bis. As per The Guardian, Mike Tyson, a vocal cann*bis advocate and entrepreneur, emphasized the urgency for clemency in a video for the cann*bis brand Reeform, co-founded by Weldon Angelos, a former prisoner granted mercy in 2016. Tyson was shocked by the fact that individuals were still serving harsh sentences for cann*bis-related offenses.
He referred to the punishment meted out to these individuals as “murderers’ time” for involvement in what he considers”mild medicine.” To amplify this message, Tyson is set to deliver a letter to the White House, calling for reconciliation with communities. In the letter he wrote, “The war on mari*uana is over, Mr President, as seen in legalization efforts across the country and in polls showing that most Americans oppose mari*uana prohibition.”
Furthermore, he continued, “Through a categorical clemency grant you can declare an end to federal warfare on our own people and mark a new era based on peace and prosperity.”
Interestingly, his letter followed a plea put forth by chart-topping music artists like Drake, Killer Mike, and several other prominent names across various fields of expertise who wanted leniency when it came to mari*juana-rleated offenses..
The hopes haven’t subsided since 2021
Back in 2021, over 150 prominent figures, including Drake, Killer Mike, Deion Sanders, and Kevin Garnett, had urged President Joe Biden to grant a general pardon to individuals serving sentences for non-violent mari*uana offenses. The initiative was led by Weldon Angelos, President of The Weldon Project, and Erik Luna, director of the Academy for Justice.
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Signatories believe that such a pardon would contribute to advancing public safety and foster economic prosperity. Many artists, athletes, producers, lawmakers, and other professionals collectively advocated for a compassionate and pragmatic approach to cann*bis-related convictions. The letter stated, “Enough is enough. No one should be locked up in federal prison for mari*uana. No one should continue to bear the scarlet letter of a federal conviction for mari*uana offenses.”
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It also urged, “Those who will have their sentences commuted comprise a small percentage of the federal prison population and are incarcerated only for non-violent mari*uana offenses.”
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They presented their case in the best way possible to President Joe Biden. Hopefully, Mike Tyson’s celebrity status will further bolster the cause and force the Biden administration to swiftly address the issue. Stay tuned for further updates.
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