A Congressional Briefing hosted by SSSDP and Sponsored by The Honorable Steven Cohen (TN-9)

Monday, April 20, 2026 12:00 PM U.S. Congress-Rayburn 2075

To attend the event and get more details, use this link: Sign Up Link

On April 20th—a date widely associated with cannabis culture but too often disconnected from the realities of prohibition—Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) will convene a Congressional Briefing to confront a truth many would prefer to overlook: cannabis is still not truly legal in the United States, and the human cost of prohibition continues every day.

Despite widespread state-level reforms and shifting public opinion, federal cannabis prohibition continues to devastate lives. Nearly 3,000 individuals remain incarcerated in federal prison serving long-term to life sentences for cannabis-related offenses. These are not abstract statistics—they are people who have lost decades of their lives, separated from their families and communities, for conduct that is now legal in much of the country.

At the same time, arrests have not stopped. According to data reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and analyzed by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, there were between 190,000 and over 200,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2024 alone. More than 20 percent of all drug arrests in the United States are still for marijuana, and approximately 92 percent are for simple possession—not sale or manufacturing. While complete 2025 data is not yet available, the most recent figures make clear: prohibition is still actively ruining lives.

Stolen Time centers the voices of those who have endured that harm firsthand—and who are now leading the fight to end it. 

Panelists

Weldon Angelos

In 2003, Weldon Angelos, a "rising star" in the music industry who was just trying to get by while his career stabilized, sold $300 worth of cannabis to a confidential informant on three occasions, earning him a crushing 55 years in federal prison for a first-time, nonviolent cannabis offense due to mandatory minimum sentencing laws. His case became a national symbol of excessive sentencing, drawing bipartisan outrage. On May 31, 2016, after serving 13 years in prison, Weldon was granted clemency and released from prison thanks a multi-year bipartisan campaign for justice, and in December 2020, he was issued a full pardon by President Trump. Today, Weldon is a leading criminal justice reform advocate and founder of The Weldon Project, through which bridges political divides to free others serving extreme sentences and to advance second chances through policy reform.

Jimmy Romans

Jimmy Romans' sentence reflected the harshest excesses of the War on Drugs, where nonviolent cannabis activity can result in permanent incarceration.

On the day after Father's Day 2010, Jimmy was indicted by the federal government for selling marijuana. Facing up to eight years behind bars in Indiana, Jimmy took a deal offered by the prosecution and plead guilty to a Class C felony, agreeing not to fight for the return of any personal property that had been seized by police, in exchange for two years in a work-release facility—but, in a surprise turn of events, Jimmy was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for a cannabis offense, serving over 11 years behind bars before President Trump commuted his sentence on January 20, 2021.

Since his release through executive clemency, Romans has become an outspoken advocate for those still incarcerated, working with reform organizations and speaking publicly to ensure that the human toll of prohibition is not forgotten.

Anthony DeJohn

In 2004, Anthony DeJohn was swept up in a central New York cannabis case out of Syracuse, and after years of fighting it, a federal judge in the Northern District of New York sentenced him on July 26, 2010 to life in federal prison— plus ten years — for his role in a cannabis distribution conspiracy, despite no history of violence. Anthony served more than 13 years before President Trump commuted his sentence on January 20, 2021. Today, Anthony is committed to advocacy and public education, using his experience to highlight the ongoing injustice of cannabis prohibition and to push for the release of others still serving extreme sentences.

Craig Cesal

Craig Cesal was the co-owner of a body shop outside of Chicago, when, in March 2002, border patrol agents found 1,500 pounds of cannabis hidden in a truck belonging to one of his clients.

Even though Craig—a first-time, nonviolent offender—had no prior record and had not been caught transporting cannabis himself, prosecutors argued he “leased vehicles to smugglers,” and in 2003 Craig was sentenced to life in prison on federal conspiracy charges for marijuana, largely due to sentencing enhancements tied to conspiracy laws. Craig served nearly two decades before his sentence was commuted by President Trump on January 19, 2021.

Since his release, Cesal has become a powerful voice in the movement for criminal justice reform, working to expose the injustices of federal sentencing and advocating for those still behind bars.

Moderator: Kat Murti

SSDP Executive Director, Kat Murti, has dedicated her life to fighting for individual freedom. As a child, Kat was deeply impacted by news footage of end of life AIDS patients and their caregivers being arrested for using cannabis for relief and, in 2007, Kat joined the global movement to end the War on Drugs. 

This panel brings together individuals whose lives were defined—and derailed—by cannabis prohibition, and who are now helping to build a more just and humane future, but this briefing is not just about storytelling—it is a demand for action. SSDP and our partners are calling on Congress and state and federal leaders to fully decriminalize cannabis, legalize it nationwide, immediately end arrests, release all individuals currently incarcerated for cannabis offenses, and clear their records so they can rebuild their lives.

Prohibition has stolen time—years, decades, entire lifetimes. On April 20th, we call on policymakers to confront that reality and take meaningful steps to end it.