Meek Mill, Drake, Killer Mike are among a group of lawmakers, athletes, and artists who are pushing the American president to award amnesty to a rapper sentenced to eight years in state prison due to a non-violent cannabis felony.
On Wednesday, Weldon Angelos (who was pardoned for his cannabis-related conviction from the former American president) led a letter sent to Joe Biden with signatories calling for amnesty for Davis Terrell(Ralo) who got arrested in 2018 for cannabis distribution.
This case is part of Weldon and other advocates’ larger effort to encourage America’s presidential administration to award categorical clemency for individuals incarcerated due to state cannabis misdemeanors. Representative Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, and activist groups also made a similar case in letters sent to Joe that they submitted after he took office.
Angelos said that he’s certain that President Joe will arbitrate and eliminate that hypocrisy. He added that in their communication with representatives from the White House, there’s some interest in specifically addressing cannabis cases.
In the coalition’s letter to Joe regarding Ralo, who has been incarcerated for 3 years and not yet sentenced, the celebs and other proponents wrote that the country’s perspective on marijuana has changed. It’s unjust to incarcerate individuals according to the harsh opinions of previous generations.
The panel also cited Joe’s past comments during a campaign trail supporting removing past cannabis records and decriminalization. They also highlighted the House-passed reform to end state marijuana prohibition in 2020.
They also said that despite the countrywide change in opinion regarding cannabis, there seems to be a lack of a genuine platform for folks who’re still serving long state prison terms for retailing marijuana. Adding that clemency is the right approach to handle this issue due to the freedom imperative and deadlock in Congress.
