An American teacher freed from a Russian prison after being convicted of marijuana possession was welcomed at the White House by President Donald Trump and key GOP congressional leaders on Tuesday.
But absent from Marc Fogel’s reception was acknowledgement of the basis of his conviction: A charge of possession of cannabis that he lawfully obtained as a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania, which could also earn him prison time domestically under federal prohibition.
Still, the attendance at the White House event has given advocates pause. Some of the same people celebrating his return to the U.S.—including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—have supported the status quo of federal cannabis prohibition.
Johnson has consistently opposed marijuana reform, including on incremental issues like cannabis banking and making it easier to conduct scientific research on the plant.
Rubio, for his part, has strongly opposed any moves to legalize marijuana, and during his 2016 presidential campaign advocated for enforcing federal prohibition even in states that have enacted their own cannabis laws. The former senator has indicated tentative openness to allowing medical marijuana access, but only if it is federally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Fogel was
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