Retired boxing champion Mike Tyson is leading a group of athletes, musicians and entertainers in calling on President Trump to make marijuana reform a priority.
In a letter sent to Trump, the coalition praised his past clemency actions and urged him to go further by rescheduling marijuana, granting mass pardons, and ending the banking restrictions hurting state-legal cannabis businesses.
The group—formally called the Coalition of Athletes and Entertainers Supporting President Trump’s Policy Objectives—includes big names like Wyclef Jean, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Ricky Williams, Chris Webber, Adin Ross, JR Smith, Al Harrington, Dez Bryant, Champ Bailey and John Salley, among others.
“Today, people continue to serve lengthy federal sentences for conduct that is now legal in most states – which makes their continued incarceration not only cruel but absurd”, states the letter. “After making sweeping promises to voters in 2020, former President Biden failed to deliver on his pledge to address marijuana-related injustices. Not only did he leave office without commuting the sentences of those incarcerated for marijuana, but in one of his final acts, he denied nearly every pending marijuana-related clemency application”.
The group says “This betrayal only underscores the urgent need for bold leadership, we believe, and represents an opportunity to correct glaring disparities as part of your Administration’s ongoing push for criminal justice reform.”
In the letter, the coalition argued that marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I substance is outdated and harms innovation, research and state-level legal markets. They also called attention to the difficulties cannabis businesses face in accessing banking, getting mortgages, and taking standard tax deductions—despite contributing tens of billions to the economy and employing over 450,000 Americans.
They urged Trump to support legislation that would treat legal marijuana companies fairly, both economically and legally.
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