55 Year Prison Sentence for $900 Worth of Cannabis- Weldon Angelos | Utah in the Weeds Episode #18 скачать в хорошем качестве

55 Year Prison Sentence for $900 Worth of Cannabis- Weldon Angelos | Utah in the Weeds Episode #18

Today on the Utah in the Weeds Podcast Tim and Chris talk to Weldon Angelos who was sentenced to 55 years of prison for $900 worth of weed. Connect with us at UtahMarijuana.org and IAmSaltLake.com. Who is Weldon Angelos? [0:56] Weldon has a background in music production, working with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Tupac. Weldon’s trial and sentence [06:41] The prosecutor introduced evidence from Weldon’s work in music and clothing to make a case. For example, in the closing argument, the prosecutor used lyrics from an album he produced to describe his character, even though he did not write the lyrics. Efforts to change Weldon’s prison sentence [8:26] Before sentencing, the judge for Weldon’s trial asked President George W. Bush to commute the sentence. He believed that the mandatory sentencing he was required to impose was cruel, unjust, and irrational. However, this effort was unsuccessful. Weldon’s experience in prison [09:18] At 24 years old, Weldon was sent to the United States Penitentiary, Lompoc in California. USP Lompoc is a medium security prison for male inmates. He served his prison sentence alongside violent criminals, murders and “lifers.” How Weldon was able to have his sentence commuted [10:51] Weldon and his team were able to build a coalition of celebrities and politicians to help get his sentence commuted, including Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Mike Epps, and Senators Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Cory Booker. Weldon’s life after prison [12:24] As soon as Weldon was released from prison, he hit the ground running to work on criminal justice reform. He was part of the coalition lobbying for the First Step Act, which was legislation to “improve criminal justice outcomes, as well as to reduce the size of the federal prison population while also creating mechanisms to maintain public safety.” The legislation was signed into law by President Trump in 2018. Weldon’s efforts to help others in prison [14:03] The First Step Act was a great step towards criminal justice reform, but the act did not apply to purely cannabis cases. Why the Mission Green project is focused on federal prisoners [19:02] Unlike the state penitentiary system where there is the option of parole or even expungement as state laws change, in the federal system there is no relief unless the President of the United States commutes your sentence or Congress acts to change federal laws. Mission Green’s cannabis brand [21:57] Mission Green is launching a cannabis brand called REEForm. The goal of this brand is to give the proceeds from sales to cannabis federal prisoner commissary accounts. Adjusting to life after prison [22:45] Weldon’s criminal justice reform work was a good distraction for him after prison. In his final months in prison, he knew he would be released, but did not know the date. When he finally was released, he asked friends and family to keep it a secret to give him a few days to get some sun, buy new clothes, and re-adjust to life. More about the documentary [24:29] The documentary will be a 90 minute feature film. Weldon is currently in discussions with HBO for the project. Weldon’s thoughts on medical vs. recreational marijuana [29:42] Weldon believes that everyone should have access to cannabis. Weldon also believes that home grow should also be an option for cannabis users. The Weldon Project’s work to have rap artist Loon released from prison [35:02] The Weldon Project is working with the federal system to have the rap artist Loon released from prison. Weldon’s day to day life [36:43] Weldon spends his days writing legal briefs for people in prison for cannabis, working on his cannabis brand, and networking. He continues to advocate for people in prison, male and female. How Weldon learned the laws around cannabis [37:59] While in prison, Weldon spent much of his time studying law. With the help of his sister, he used this knowledge to campaign for his release from prison. How you can get involved with the Weldon Project & Mission Green [42:18] You can go to TheWeldonProject.org to donate or volunteer. Time Stamps 00:00- Intro 00:56- Who is Weldon Angelos? 06:41- Weldon’s trial and sentence 08:26- Efforts to change Weldon’s prison sentence 09:18- Weldon’s experience in prison 10:51- How Weldon was able to have his sentence commuted 12:24- Weldon’s life after prison 14:03- Weldon’s efforts to help others in prison 19:02- Why the Mission Green project is focused on federal prisoners 21:57- Mission Green’s cannabis brand 22:45- Adjusting to life after prison 24:29- More about the documentary 29:42- Weldon’s thoughts on medical vs. recreational marijuana 35:02- The Weldon Project’s work to have rap artist Loon released from prison 36:43- Weldon’s day to day life 37:59- How Weldon learned the laws around cannabis 42:18- How you can get involved with the Weldon Project & Mission Green #UtahInTheWeedsPodcast #MedicalMarijuana