Kyle Kazan, the CEO of Glass House Group, issued a moving open letter to Trump, urging the president to pardon Parker Coleman.
Kazan wrote: “As a retired law enforcement officer and the current CEO of Glass House Group, one of the fastest growing cannabis companies in the U.S., I respectfully request that you pardon Parker Coleman. Mr. Coleman is serving a six-decade prison sentence for a nonviolent marijuana conspiracy offense at USP Beaumont. Now in his mid-30s and having already served a decade of his sentence, unless Parker is granted a second chance at life by you, he will be in his 80’s when he is released, a de facto life sentence.”
Kazan’s letter makes some very good points. To whit:
“In direct contrast to Parker and many thousands of others who are serving hard time alongside murderers and rapists, countless businesses are operating in 34 states in violation of the same federal marijuana laws. In fact, fortunes are being made and many states have deemed these businesses to be ‘essential.’ The magnitude of this growing yet still federally illegal industry is massive as U.S. consumers spent nearly $18 billion on cannabis in 2020 while 68% of Americans support legalization.”
Read the full letter here. If you’re interested in the case, check this out.
Kazan’s letter is not the first petition to trump on behalf of Parker Coleman. Parker’s mother Tracey (pictured above) has stated, “This experience has been absolutely heartbreaking. On the day of Parker’s sentencing, I thought, ’60 years? In 60 years we’ll be dead.’ It makes me ask, where are the bodies? Who did he kill to deserve this kind of punishment? It’s about time elected officials do something about it. I pray that President Trump will find compassion in his heart and grant my son Parker a pardon so he can finally come home.”
Despite these heartfelt pleas, the likelihood that Trump will pardon Coleman seems relatively slim. According to a study released by the Pew Research Center, Trump has granted clemency less than any president in modern history.