Boxing icon Mike Tyson is calling on the Trump administration to consider cannabis reforms that Joe Biden failed to implement.
Tyson, who has a cannabis business, expressed his views on Fox and Friends Monday, advocating for marijuana to be removed from the same classification as cocaine and heroin.
“Marijuana is grouped with heroin. How can that even make sense? Anyone who uses cannabis knows there’s just no comparison. It’s absurd,” Tyson remarked.
Tyson isn’t alone in his stance; other athletes are speaking out for cannabis and its decriminalization.
NBA player Kevin Durant and ex-NFL player Dez Bryant have also reached out to the Trump administration, pushing for a reevaluation of cannabis’s classification.
In their letter, Durant and Bryant emphasized the urgency of addressing issues for “non-violent” offenders, calling for decriminalization, drug rescheduling, and changes to discriminatory banking practices that hinder cannabis businesses from accessing banking services.
Tyson referenced the banking challenges faced by cannabis dealers, even when operating legally at the state level, because they still deal with federally banned substances.
“They’re not just part of the cannabis industry; it’s astonishing that over half a million people struggle to get loans. That’s a significant loss for the nation,” Tyson told Fox News. “It’s a huge missed opportunity.”
Like many advocates for cannabis, Tyson argued that it serves as a natural pain reliever rather than a toxic substance.
“I couldn’t manage without cannabis; I was a mess. I would engage in fights and react violently when people tried to assist me. It helped me so much back then,” he recalled, noting how his experience as a kid differs significantly from his adult life now.
Tyson also voiced disappointment with Biden, who promised to take actionable steps on marijuana but hasn’t delivered.
“He stepped into office without commuting any sentences for those imprisoned for marijuana offenses, and in one of his last acts, he rejected nearly all requests for marijuana clemency,” the letter critiques.
“This betrayal underscores the need for strong leadership, creating an opening to address the ongoing disparities related to the promotion of criminal justice reform under your administration,” the letter continues.
Yet, a wealth of evidence indicates that marijuana can be harmful. New studies reveal its negative effects on brain function and the heart, while recent research associates cannabis use with increased stroke mortality risk. Concerns also persist regarding the dangers children face from exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. Moreover, car accident rates are climbing in states that have legalized cannabis, linked to impaired driving.
