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EXCLUSIVE: A coalition of sports stars and underholders has sent a letter to the White House calling on President Donald Trump to adopt cannabis reform.
The group is overwritten by boxing legend Mike Tyson, NBA Super Star Kevin Durant, former NBA star Allen Iverson, former boxer Roy Jones Jr., former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant, former NFL star Antonio Brown, and former NFL player and the prominent Cannabis Williams.
Williams’ name appears twice on the list of Signes.
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Kevin Durant looks at an NBA basketball game. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez,)
The group feels itself “the coalition of athletes and underholders supporting President Trump’s political goals.”
The letter highlights three main points in their proposed reform: clemity for “non – -violent” marijuana -lov violations, support for marijuana re -planning and ending of “discriminatory banking practice.”
The first item in the letter points out Trump’s former pardon of music producer Weldon Angelos, sentenced to 55 years in prison in November 2004 for Marijuana prosecutor. Angelos was released in 2016 and then pardoned by Trump in December 2020. The letter also criticized former President Joe Biden for a lack of action to tackle marijuana-related imprisonment.
“Today, people continue to serve long federal judgments of behavior that is now legal in most States-what makes their continued imprisonment not only cruel but absurd. After giving sweeping promises to voters in 2020, former President Biden left the bit to turn to Marijuana-related. Almost every pending marihuana-related clay in the letter.
“This betrayal only emphasizes the urgent need for bold leadership, we believe, and represents an opportunity to correct shiny differences as part of your administration’s ongoing push for reform of criminal justice.”
Ex-nfler says he would be in trouble ‘if cannabis was still wide illegal, happy today’s players can use it
The second point of the letter urges Trump to reclassify the drug from a schedule I -fabric to a Schedule III. The difference in the respective schedules determined by the drug enforcement agency (DEA) determines how medicines are seen with regard to their potential for abuse versus medical use.
Schedule in substances has great potential for abuse and has no accepted medical use in the United States, they also have great potential for serious psychological and/or physical dependence.
Schedule III –
“Marijuana’s current classification as a schedule in -fabric is scientifically outdated, economically harmful and contrary to modern medical understanding,” the letter states. “Change of marijuana would harmonize federal legislation with state policies, promote innovation, encourage research and create economic growth.”
The last point of the letter arguing against “discriminatory banking practices” points out that Trump has been against a previous US initiative called “Operation Choke Point”, which investigated banks and the business they did with firearms, payroll lenders and other companies that, while the operating legally, were said to have a high risk of fraud and money.
The group claimed that marijuana companies have also been influenced by this initiative and other banking practice.
“State-legal cannabis operators, including many of us, have also been unfairly denied banking services despite full compliance with state law,” the letter reads. “Despite the fact that he is legally driving in 40 states employing over 450,000 Americans and generating more than $ 35 billion annually, these companies are facing unfair barriers to bank services and their employees are struggling to get priority loans from traditional lenders.
Marijuana plants are seen at a growing facility in Washington County, New York, May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/His Pennink, File)
“In addition, cannabis companies cannot take standard business deductions, leading to effective tax rates that often exceed 85%. While foreign cannabis companies benefit from lists of US exchanges, such as sneezing and NASDAQ, US cannabis operators are unlawfully excluded.
The other figures listed on the White House letter include former NBA players Steven Jackson, Chris Webber, Jr Smith, John Salley and Al Harrington, former NFL players Jim McMahon, Kyle Turley, Champ Bailey, Marvin Washington and Tony Richardson and former Boxers Boyd Melson, Paul Willias and Keith Thurmon.
The entertainment figures on the letter are streamer Adin Ross, rappers Lil Pump and Ralo and musician Wyclef.
