Partnership With Mission [Green] Alliance

The cannabis community is largely dedicated to expanding access to cannabis products, including medical marijuana for patients with applicable conditions as well as recreational consumers. 

However, industry leader PharmaCann strives to do more, starting with providing affordable, high-quality products that deliver the safety and reliability consumers deserve, as well as working toward social change.

With a commitment to creating a positive impact in the cannabis community, PharmaCann teamed up with Mission [Green] Alliance to support its federal cannabis reform efforts. The cannabis MSO proudly presented Mission [Green] Alliance at a recent event with a check for over $250,000, collected from participating Verilife and LivWell locations nationwide. 

What Is Mission [Green] Alliance?

Mission [Green] Alliance, launched in April 2023, was created by the nonprofit organization The Weldon Project to drive federal cannabis reform, provide financial aid to individuals facing unfair incarceration, advocate for clemency, and commute sentences related to cannabis convictions. 

How did it start, and what efforts are being made to reach project goals?

The War on Drugs

In 1971, President Richard Nixon cited drug abuse as the biggest threat facing the country, and in 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was created to control the dangers of drug abuse. However, it wasn't until Ronald Reagan entered the Oval Office in 1981 that the War on Drugs significantly ramped up.

The unfortunate consequences of new rules, such as mandatory sentencing, were that certain communities were disproportionately impacted and many offenders were unfairly incarcerated. Weldon Angelos, a young recording artist and music producer, was one such individual.

Weldon Angelos

At 23, Weldon Angelos was beginning a promising career, preparing to release an album featuring rap stars like 2Pac, Nas and Snoop Dog. 

To finance his work, he sold cannabis on the side. He was targeted as part of a sting operation, and despite selling only about $300 worth of cannabis to undercover agents, he was charged with 20 federal crimes.

His conviction resulted in a 55-year prison sentence due to mandatory minimums, which even the judge in the case claimed was cruel and unjust. Angelos became the poster child for legal reform, with support from celebrities, business leaders, and government officials. 

In 2016, after serving 13 years of his sentence, he was released from prison, and in 2020, he received a full pardon.

The Weldon Project and Mission [Green] Alliance

After his release from prison, Angelos started The Weldon Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition, along with the War on Drugs and the mass incarceration it supports. 

Today, he is a renowned criminal justice reform advocate working tirelessly to help inmates convicted of cannabis crimes seek clemency and release from prison. 

In keeping with the organization's underlying goals, Mission [Green] Alliance was recently launched with the goal to inspire cannabis companies and customers to contribute to securing the justice these inmates deserve.

How Does It Work?

Mission [Green] Alliance is a grassroots effort that involves contributions by cannabis consumers. First piloted in 2022, the program relies on cannabis industry partners to engage in outreach, offering consumers the opportunity to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the change to cannabis justice efforts.

Consumers may also make additional contributions at their discretion. The idea is to inspire those benefiting from the current cannabis market to participate in ongoing reforms that help those negatively impacted by overly harsh legislation of the past.

Both businesses and consumers have a role to play, and the effort allows for direct participation. Dispensaries provide the mechanism of collecting donations while customers can easily support a worthy cause with every purchase.

The initial goal was to secure the release of Luke Scarmazzo, who was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for running a medical dispensary in California, which was, at the time, a legal business (at the state level) under California's Proposition 215. 

Due in part to the efforts of Weldon Angelos, The Weldon Project, and Mission [Green] Alliance, Scarmazzo was released in 2023 after serving 14 years of his sentence. This success helped expand Mission [Green] Alliance, securing new partnerships with industry leaders like PharmaCann.

PharmaCann Partners With Mission [Green] Alliance

Pharmacann, one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis companies in the U.S., is always seeking new ways to create positive consumer experiences. Providing access to affordable products and services from a trusted industry leader is just the tip of the iceberg.

Founded in 2014, PharmaCann is committed to improving customers’ lives by developing products that enhance well-being and increase sustainable access to top-quality cannabis. 

With expanding operations that include innovative products and dozens of dispensary locations across several states, PharmaCann has become a trusted and reliable resource in the evolving cannabis marketplace.

Partnering with Mission [Green] Alliance was a no-brainer, thanks to a shared interest in social equity. 

As a leader in the cannabis industry, PharmaCann embraces a duty to help individuals and communities unjustly impacted by unfair and outdated legislation. Supporting therapeutic opportunities for those adversely affected by the War on Drugs is just one way businesses can contribute to driving positive reform.

Working in tandem with Mission [Green] Alliance, PharmaCann implemented various internal and external programs to raise funds to support the project's mission of helping incarcerated individuals secure release and work toward gaining pardons or expunging convictions. 

PharmaCann's efforts, including participation by Verilife and LivWell locations across the country, resulted in a sizable donation presented at a recent event in New York.

The Weldon Angelos Documentary Event

"Unlikely Allies," directed by Anthony Pedone, is a powerful documentary that explores Weldon Angelos' journey from a budding music career to an inmate and, eventually, a social justice advocate. 

The film is bolstered by appearances from notable allies like rapper Snoop Dogg, billionaire business owner Charles Koch, and Senators Mike Lee and Cory Booker, among other supporters who advocated for Angelos and continue to assist his efforts for reform.

Now playing at film festivals nationwide, "Unlikely Allies" recently premiered at a New York City event held at the NYC House of Cannabis on July 18, 2024. 

The VIP "green" carpet event for guests 21 and over was the perfect venue for PharmaCann to present Weldon Angelos and Mission [Green] Alliance with a check for $256,835.68. Angelos expressed his gratitude for the generous donation, calling the contribution a powerful endorsement of the organization's mission and ongoing efforts.

The Future of Cannabis Reform

With widespread industry support, Mission [Green] Alliance is well-positioned to continue fighting for cannabis reform and seeking justice for those unfairly imprisoned or otherwise adversely impacted by outdated legislation targeting cannabis. 

By involving the public at a grassroots level, the organization and partners like PharmaCann increase awareness and investment in social change.

With expanding state legalization and potential federal reform on the horizon – through the proposal to reschedule marijuana as a Class III substance and SB 4226 to decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, introduced to Congress on May 1, 2024 – cannabis reform may be imminent. 

These changes can only bolster the goals and efforts of Mission [Green] Alliance, PharmaCann, and the cannabis industry as a whole.