💸 The Tape

Weldon Angelos, a prominent criminal justice reform activist who received a presidential pardon from Trump during his first term, visited the White House on Wednesday to meet with Alice Johnson, Trump’s newly appointed "pardon czar."

Angelos, founder of The Weldon Project, said the conversation about future clemency options for nonviolent marijuana prisoners left him “incredibly hopeful” when speaking the Marijuana Moment.

Johnson herself is no stranger to second chances—Trump famously commuted her life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense in 2018, and now she’s tasked with overseeing clemency efforts nationwide.

🎯 Cannabis Clemency Front and Center

Angelos has been lobbying the administration to prioritize clemency for hundreds still imprisoned for nonviolent federal marijuana offenses, many of whom were sentenced under harsher pre-legalization-era drug laws.

His White House meeting signals that marijuana clemency could be on Trump’s radar—even as broader cannabis reforms like rescheduling and banking access remain stalled.

💵 Meanwhile, the Industry Follows the Money

If hope alone won’t move policy, cash might help. Recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show major cannabis companies ponied up big for Trump’s second inauguration:

• Trulieve contributed $750,000.

• Curaleaf, via U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC), added another $250,000.

That’s at least $1 million from the cannabis industry into Trump’s orbit—alongside personal meetings between Trump and Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, who bankrolled a Florida legalization initiative Trump eventually endorsed (though voters narrowly rejected it).

🧠 Political Reality Check

Despite industry donations and positive rhetoric, the path forward remains murky:

• Trump's new DEA nominee, Terrance Cole, has voiced staunch anti-cannabis views, linking marijuana to youth suicide.

• Acting DEA chief Derek Maltz continues to push debunked "gateway drug" claims and accuses DOJ of “hijacking” rescheduling.

Rescheduling itself is on ice, with DEA confirming earlier this month that no action is scheduled as litigation and leadership transitions drag on.

Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson recently admitted cannabis reform isn’t a first-year priority for Trump’s second term, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s new strategic plan omitted marijuana entirely.

📊 Public Pressure Mounts

Polling shows voters—including Republicans—overwhelmingly support cannabis reforms:

• 70% of overall voters and 67% of GOP voters back rescheduling.

• Strong majorities favor letting states set their own cannabis laws without federal interference.

With marijuana policy more popular than ever, the pressure is building—for clemency, for reform, and for Trump to make good on campaign-trail promises.

🔥 Bottom Line

Angelos’s White House visit with Johnson offers a glimmer of hope that Trump might once again use his clemency pen to help nonviolent marijuana prisoners—even if sweeping federal cannabis reform still feels as elusive as ever.

Whether Trump becomes the president who finally cuts the ribbon on a reformed cannabis landscape—or keeps dangling it just out of reach—remains the billion-dollar question.

📈 Dog Walkers.

NY Prices Dip

What’s Going On Here: Legal cannabis prices are falling fast in New York as the industry booms, competition heats up, and more dispensaries open their doors. According to the Office of Cannabis Management, prices for concentrates and vapes have dropped 15%, edibles are down 14%, and flower has dipped 5% over the past year.

The market now boasts 368 licensed stores, a huge leap from just 41 at the end of 2023. Average prices for 3.5 grams of flower fell to $38.96, vapes dropped to $55.35 per gram, and edibles slid to $25.46 per pack.

Officials say the price cuts benefit consumers and help the legal market compete with illicit sellers—though dispensaries are feeling the squeeze with lower monthly revenues.

Why This Matter: On todays episode of “As The World Turns”, cannabis prices are dropping in the New York market as it matures. Expected.

🗞️ The News

📺 YouTube

Trump’s Cannabis Push Headlines Biggest Developments of the Week | Trade to Black

What we will cover:

✅ In our latest Trade To Black podcast, host Shadd Dales breaks down the biggest developments in cannabis for the week of April 21st.

First, according to GOP staffers speaking anonymously, President Donald Trump is actively working behind the scenes to revive the SAFER Banking Act. His recent outreach to Congress signals a push for cannabis banking reform ahead of the 2024 election. While promising, it remains unconfirmed — so take it as rumor until verified.

Meanwhile, cannabis stocks reacted fast, with some marijuana stocks surging over 30% this week, fueled by speculation and strategic frontrunning.

In Congress, Representatives Dave Joyce and Hakeem Jeffries reintroduced the PREPARE Act, aiming to create a federal framework for the cannabis industry when prohibition eventually ends.

However, challenges remain. In Texas, courts blocked Austin’s marijuana decriminalization ordinance, marking another setback for local cannabis reform.

On the federal side, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform withdrew their lawsuit against the DEA over rescheduling concerns — another blow to momentum under the Trump administration.