Glass House Brands donates $ 25,000 to the Weldon project

Today, Glass House Brands announced a donation of US $ 25,000 to continue the Weldon Project’s ongoing mission to assist those incarcerated for non-violent, cannabis-related crimes. The company also announced that Kyle Kazan, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Glass House Brands, has joined The Weldon Project’s board of directors.

The Weldon Project is a nonprofit organization, co-founded by former cannabis inmate Weldon Angelos, that works to both end the federal cannabis ban and reform the criminal justice system for people convicted of nonviolent cannabis offenses. The Weldon project is a project that is very dear to Kazan’s heart.

“From my first meeting with him, I felt that Weldon Angelos was a very special person, fueled by an intense personal commitment to redress the injustices of the war on drugs,” Kazan told High Times. “His own experience as a federal prisoner in the drug war is the flip side of the same destructive, misguided policy that I actively enforced as a police officer in the 1990s. We share the mission to heal the unjust, unequal wounds our country has inflicted on its own citizens for decades, and we also share a view on how this can be achieved. ”

Kazan shares ethical values ​​with the former prisoner – that nobody belongs in prison for cannabis offenses. He recognizes that the way forward can only be achieved in steps, beginning with grace and political change.

“The very first step is to make sure nobody, absolutely nobody, is jailed for owning a plant,” said Kazan. “And when we have achieved that, we are faced with the much more demanding task of accepting these people with clearing out and comprehensive support offers for housing and work and reintegrating them into society. We are building a regulated cannabis industry in this country and no one deserves to be a part of it more than those who suffered along the way. I am proud to have the privilege of working with Weldon and I believe that the Weldon Project will be a powerful force for good to unlock thousands of prison cells and restore the lives of these people. “

In the announcement, Angelos explained how a cannabis conviction can ruin the lives of Americans – and essentially reduce them to second-class citizens. Kazan’s appointment to the Board of Directors will help move this agenda forward.

“I am excited to welcome Kyle to our board of directors as his dedication to our cause, combined with his experience as a director for nonprofits, will make him a valuable addition to the Weldon Project. Kyle and his team at Glass House have been invaluable partners in our ongoing battle against cannabis incarceration across the country, “said Angelos. “People convicted of cannabis offenses are essentially second-class citizens in modern society and have no access to credit, housing and job opportunities even after serving their sentences. We will continue to work with Glass House and our other partners to ensure the harmful effects of the cannabis ban are a thing of the past. “

Glass House Brands and The Weldon Project worked together to drive policy change and grace programs. Glass House will help raise funds for the Weldon Project and request the Biden government to release all federal non-violent cannabis prisoners.

To do so, they will highlight the case of Parker Coleman serving a 60-year federal sentence for a non-violent conviction of cannabis conspiracy. In January, Glass House also sent an open letter to former President Donald J. Trump asking him to pardon Coleman. The case was supported by Russ, Tory Lanez, NBA veteran Al Harrington and San Diego Padres pitcher Keone Kela.

The Weldon project

The project had dire consequences. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Weldon Angelos was sentenced to a minimum mandatory federal sentence of 55 years for a non-violent cannabis offense. His case was ignored by the United States Supreme Court despite persistent pleadings from attorneys. His sentence was finally commuted in 2016 by former President Barack Obama after serving 13 years in prison. In 2020, former President Trump granted him a full pardon. His conviction was overturned only because of the relentless lobbying of advocates such as Snoop Dogg, political scientist Van Jones, the Utah Senator, Mike Lee and Koch Industries.

However, the goal of the Weldon Project is to extend these freedoms to other prisoners serving the most severe sentences for similar nonviolent offenses.

The Weldon Project sent a letter to President Joe Biden on September 14, requesting a full, full and unconditional pardon for all those who are criminally or civilly enforced by the state for nonviolent cannabis offenses. Glass House joined over 150 signatories in support of the letter to the president.

Glass House also produced a live panel discussion on the subject, hosted by cannabis reporter Mona Zhang, which featured killer Mike, Angelos and Kazan, as well as rapper Ralo, who is remotely from the Clayton County Detention Center in Ashland, Alabama , participated in the conversation. Ralo is currently serving a prison sentence for a non-violent cannabis offense.