Marijuana Activist Pardoned By Trump Meets With White House Officials As Pressure Builds For Reform

An activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during President Donald Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House on Wednesday, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”

As the cannabis community continues to search for signs that the president will proactively engage on the issue after he endorsed rescheduling, industry banking access and a state legalization initiative on the campaign trail, the meeting between Weldon Angelos and the White House official signals at least some openness to the idea of acting on marijuana reform.

Angelos, founder of the criminal justice non-profit The Weldon Project, told Marijuana Moment on Friday that the meeting with Alice Johnson—whose sentence for a drug-related conviction Trump separately commuted and who has since been named the nation’s first White House pardon czar—”left me feeling incredibly hopeful.”

Angelos has been especially focused on assisting the administration with identifying cases warranting clemency for the hundreds still incarcerated in federal prison over non-violent marijuana offenses.

“Alice understands firsthand the urgent need for meaningful clemency, and her compassion, experience, and determination make her the perfect person for this role,” Angelos said. “I’m confident she’s going to accomplish extraordinary things for those who deserve a second chance.”

Read the full article at Marijuana Moment