Mike Tyson urges Trump to deliver on cannabis reform after Biden's 'failed' pledge
"Cannabis is in the same category as heroin. How do you categorize it with heroin? Anybody that would smoke cannabis knows there's no comparison, and that's just ridiculous," Tyson told the "Fox & Friends" hosts on Monday.
The "Coalition of Athletes and Entertainers Supporting President Trump's Policy Objectives," which also includes NBA star Kevin Durant and former NFL star Dez Bryant, penned a letter to the White House to plead their case.
The letter highlighted three main points in their proposed reform: clemency for "nonviolent" marijuana offenses, support for marijuana rescheduling, or, in other words, changing its current classification as a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance, and ending "discriminatory banking practices."
Tyson said the group is working on "open[ing] up" safe banking for those in the cannabis business who are currently unable to get loans.
"There's over 500,000 people that can't get loans because they're in the cannabis business alone and that's just so ridiculous," he said. "It's such a great income for the country…"
He also argued that cannabis is not a drug and is, instead, a form of medicine that gave him a new lease on life.
"I could not live, I was going crazy without cannabis. I was just going absolutely mad, fighting people in the street, giving wild responses back to people who said, 'Can I help you?' And then it's done so much for me. It's given me a new life, so to speak… all the reckless trouble I was getting into [as a kid], that's not happening now as an adult."
The letter from the series of athletes and entertainers also criticized former President Biden for failing to take action with regard to those incarcerated for the substance.
"Not only did he leave office without commuting the sentences of those incarcerated for marijuana, but in one of his final acts, he denied nearly every pending marijuana-related clemency application," the letter stated.
"This betrayal only underscores the urgent need for bold leadership, we believe, and represents an opportunity to correct glaring disparities as part of your [the Trump] Administration's ongoing push for criminal justice reform."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
17 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Orange County congresswoman targeted by protests over Trump megabill, cuts to healthcare
Protestors railed on Tuesday against an Orange County congresswoman who could be a critical vote on President Trump's proposal to cut more than $1 trillion in federal dollars that helped pay for healthcare for those in need and extend tax cuts for millions of Americans. Trump's proposed 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' narrowly passed the U.S. Senate hours before hundreds ofpeople gathered in a cul-de-sac outside of the Anaheim field office of Republican Rep. Young Kim to protest those cuts. The legislation still needs to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives, which could happen before the end of the week. 'I don't know why they call it beautiful, because there's nothing about it that's beautiful. It's harmful, it's reckless, and it's cruel, and it's going to hurt people,' said Melody Mendenhall, a nurse at UCLA who is active with the California Nurses Assn., which was among the groups that organized the protest. 'Rep. Young Kim, hear our cry, hear our voices. We need our Medicaid. We cannot afford this type of reckless cuts and behavior.' A security guard blocked the parking lot to Kim's office and at least a half-dozen Anaheim police officers watched the protest unfold. Several people who appeared to be Kim staffers watched the demonstration from outside the building before they dashed inside when protestors marched to the building, unsuccessfully sought to enter it and then began chanting 'Shame! Shame!' In a statement, Kim said that her door was always open to Californians in her district. 'I understand some of my constituents are concerned and know how important Medicaid services are for many in my community, which is why I voted to protect and strengthen Medicaid services for our most vulnerable citizens who truly need it,' Kim said. 'I have met with many of these local healthcare advocates in recent months.' Trump's proposal would dramatically overhaul the nation's tax code by making cuts approved during the president's first term permanent, a major benefit the the corporations and the nation's wealthy, while slashing funding for historic federal safety-net programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps provide food to low-income Americans. Roughly 15 million Californians, more than a third of the state, are on Medi-Cal, the state's version of Medicaid, with some of the highest percentages in rural counties that supported Trump in the November election. More than half of California children receive healthcare coverage through Medi-Cal. A version of the Republican bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives with Kim's support. The U.S. Senate narrowly approved an amended version of the bill on Tuesday. The defection of three GOP senators meant Vice President J.D. Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote for it to pass in that chamber. The House and Senate will now work to reconcile their two different versions of the bill. This week was a district work week for members of Congress, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) ordered members back to Washington, D.C., for votes on the bill that could occur Wednesday or Thursday. Republicans hope to get the legislation to President Trump's desk for his signature by Friday, Independence Day, though there is some concern among its members about whether they will have enough votes to pass the bill because of potential defections and the united Democratic opposition. An analysis released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Sunday estimated that the Senate version of the proposal would increase the national deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034 and would result in 11.8 million Americans losing healthcare insurance in less than a decade. Trump praised the passage of the bill on social media and urged House Republicans to support the Senate plan. The proposal has caused a rift within the GOP, with and some House members have expressed reservations about the measure because of the amount it would add to the nation's deficit and its impact on their constituents. 'I've been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers' in his congressional district, Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) wrote on the social media site X on Sunday. He represents more than a half million Central Valley residents who rely on Medicaid – the most of any congressional district in California, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center. A spokesperson for Valadao on Tuesday didn't respond to a question about how the congressman planned to vote. Kim's Orange County district is more affluent than Valadao's, but roughly one in five of her constituents rely on Medicaid. The congresswoman was en route to Washington, D.C., at the time of the protest, according to a spokesperson. Outside her Anaheim field office, protestor after protestor described how the bill would impact vulnerable Californians, such as disabled children, the elderly, veterans and those who would lose access to reproductive healthcare. 'The stakes have never been higher. We are living in a time when our rights are under attack,' said Emily Escobar, a public advocacy manager for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. She said that federal funds do not pay for abortions, but help pay for other vital healthcare, such as cancer screenings, preventative care, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and access to contraception. More than one-third of Planned Parenthood's patients nationwide reside in California. These cuts will result in clinics being shut down, effectively reducing access to abortion, Escobar said. 'Let me make this clear, this bill is a backdoor abortion ban,' she said. Shari Home, 73, said she and her husband were weighing how to divide their Social Security income on food, medication and medical supplies after her husband, who suffers several chronic health conditions, fell last year. 'The hospitalizations were so expensive, so we applied for and got Medi-Cal in January and food assistance, and it's been such a lifesaver,' said the Laguna Woods resident. 'Without Medi-Cal, I don't know what we would do. Our lives would not be good. We would not have the medications that he needs.' Michelle Del Rosario, 57, wore a button picturing her son William, 25, on her blouse. The Orange resident, one of Kim's constituents who has previously voted for her, is the primary caregiver for her son, who has autism, epilepsy and does not speak. Her son relies on his Medi-Cal coverage for his $5,000-a-month seizure medicine, as well as the home health support he receives, she said. 'He lives at home. He has desires, at some point, to live independently, to work, but he needs' these support services for that to happen, Del Rosario said.
New York Post
25 minutes ago
- New York Post
Total border encounters last month were less than ‘a single day under Biden,' Tom Homan says
Federal authorities encountered fewer migrants attempting to illegally enter the US last month than what officials faced daily during the Biden administration, border czar Tom Homan revealed Tuesday. 'Total Border Patrol encounters for the entire month of June 2025 was 6,070,' according to Homan, who noted in an X post that the figure is 'less than a single day under Biden.' 'As a matter of fact, the total number of encounters is less than half of a single day under Biden on many days,' the Trump administration official said, adding that 'none of the 6,070 were released into the US. ZERO.' Advertisement 3 Homan attributed the sharp decline in illegal border-crossings to 'The Trump Effect.' Getty Images The total released by Homan marks a 93.1% drop in nationwide Border Patrol encounters from June 2024, when 87,606 migrants were nabbed trying to enter the country illegally. It's also a 94% and 97% decline from June 2023 and June 2022, when, respectively, 100,606 and 193,027 migrants were encountered by Border Patrol. Advertisement In June 2022, the average daily total of migrant encounters was about 6,434 per day. Last month, Border Patrol reported encountering just over 10,000 migrants nationwide. Homan attributed the massive reduction in border-crossings to President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, calling it, 'The Trump Effect.' 3 Trump has deployed thousands of US troops to the southern border in an effort to combat illegal immigration. AP Advertisement 3 Monthly migrant encounters are massivly lower than they were under former President Joe Biden. Anadolu via Getty Images 'President Trump has created the most secure border in the history of the nation and the data proves it,' the border czar asserted. 'We have never seen numbers this low. Never.' 'God bless the men and women of the US Border Patrol and God bless the men and women of ICE,' Homan continued. 'The interior arrests and consequences help to drive down illegal immigration.' 'The TRUMP EFFECT keeps America winning.'
Hamilton Spectator
34 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime, critical minerals cooperation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the 'Quad,' met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China amid tensions with partners over trade and defense issues. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a 'vehicle for action' that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group's relevance in the future. To that end, the four announced in a statement the creation of a 'Quad Critical Minerals Initiative' that aims 'to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains.' The statement did not provide details of the initiative. 'We are deeply concerned about the abrupt constriction and future reliability of key supply chains, specifically for critical minerals,' they said. 'This includes the use of non-market policies and practices for critical minerals, certain derivative products, and mineral processing technology.' The statement did not mention China by name, but Chinese domination of the critical minerals supply chain has long been a concern of the U.S. and others. The ministers expressed specific concern about rising tensions in the East and South China Seas, where Beijing has become increasingly assertive of maritime and territorial claims that are rejected by its smaller neighbors. 'We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,' they said. 'We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea.' The ministers also condemned North Korea for continuing to launch ballistic missiles, expand its nuclear weapons program and engage in malicious cyberactivity. In a veiled reference to North Korean support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, they expressed 'deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global nonproliferation regime.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
