President Trump has commuted the federal sentences of two men convicted in marijuana cases, granting relief as his government advances efforts to change cannabis policy.
The clemency grants announced last Thursday apply to Kevin Harden and Jerry Haymon, both of whom were serving lengthy sentences for cannabis distribution offenses.
Haymon received a mandatory 10-year federal term for participating in a cannabis distribution conspiracy. He had spent the last year under home confinement and had about another year remaining. During that time, restrictions prevented him from taking some jobs, including social media work for a marijuana company and research for a policy group involved in marijuana issues.
Haymon said the commutation had given him a chance to rebuild his life. Thirty-six lawmakers had previously urged President Biden to consider his case, highlighting Haymon’s record as a college football player and economics student.
Biden granted broad pardons to persons convicted of simple federal cannabis possession, but did not extend similar relief to those imprisoned for cannabis distribution offenses.
Harden was serving a 30-year federal sentence for cannabis distribution conspiracy. Harden’s co-defendant, James Romans, received clemency from Trump five years ago. Harden has also experienced serious medical problems in prison, including blood-clotting complications and seizures.
Both petitions included a letter from Mike Tyson, who urged Trump to help people still incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana offenses. Tyson argued that changing federal cannabis policy while leaving people imprisoned for conduct legal in many states created an obvious disparity.
The decisions come as the administration pursues marijuana rescheduling. AG Todd Blanche issued an April order moving state medical marijuana and certain FDA-approved cannabis products into Schedule 3. A separate DEA proceeding is considering whether cannabis should receive Schedule 3 status, with a final ruling still pending.
Weldon Angelos, a criminal justice advocate who previously received a presidential pardon from Trump, welcomed the grants. He described them as opportunities for redemption, mercy, and family reunification.
Haymon thanked Trump, Alice Johnson, and the advocacy groups that backed his petition. His attorney, Erik Luna, said Haymon had received a decade-long prison sentence for actions that are now permitted under the law in the state where the offense occurred.
Trump has previously granted other cannabis-related relief. Earlier this year, he pardoned a former NFL player convicted of marijuana trafficking. He also commuted Ross Ulbricht’s life sentence following his conviction for operating an illicit online drug marketplace.
These presidential commutations are likely to be welcomed by marijuana companies like Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) as they help to slowly remove the remaining vestiges of the marijuana prohibition era.
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