MEASURED JUSTICE - Criminal Justice at the Twilight of Marijuana Prohibition

Legal-Ease Podcast

In this episode of Measured Justice, we'll be discussing criminal justice reform at the twilight of marijuana prohibition, and, in particular, securing the release of those incarcerated for non-violent marijuana related offenses. The issue has received increased attention given the sea change in state and local marijuana law occurring across the nation, as more and more states opting for regulation and taxation over crime and punishment. We are fortunate to be joined by two individuals directly impacted by the ups and downs of marijuana reform, as well as one of their attorneys: Luke Scarmazzo co-founded one of the nation's first licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in California in 2004 which he successfully operated until 2006 when he arrested by federal authorities. Although his business was completely legal in California, he was convicted under federal law and sentenced to 22 years in prison, serving nearly 15 years before his release by a federal Judge in February 2023. We are also joined by Kerrie Dent counsel with King & Spalding in its Special Matters and Investigations practice in Washington, D.C., where she focuses primarily on white collar criminal defense, complex civil litigation and internal investigations. Ms. Dent successfully represented Mr. Scarmazzo in obtaining his recent release. Finally, we are joined by Weldon Angelos, president of the Weldon Project, co-founder of Mission [Green], as well as a music producer and leading criminal justice reform advocate. Mr. Angelos received a full presidential pardon after serving more than a decade of a 55 year mandatory federal sentence for low-level marijuana transactions. This is an eye opening episode on what happens when bad drug policy goes wrong.