An American who was recently released from a Russian prison over marijuana possession he obtained as a lawful medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania is among President Donald Trump’s invited guests at a speech before a joint session Congress on Tuesday evening.
Marc Fogel—who was serving a 14-year sentence in Russian after being convicted of “drug smuggling” over possession of a half-ounce of cannabis and whose release was secured as part of a prisoner swap last month—will be in attendance at the president’s speech on Capitol Hill.
Trump and key congressional leaders welcomed Fogel’s return at the White House last month, though there was not explicit acknowledgment of the underlying charges of marijuana possession, which could still earn him prison time under federal law domestically.
It is not clear if Trump will discuss the reason Fogel was incarcerated in Russia in the first place during his speech, and the White House press release announcing him and other guests invited by the president and First Lady Melania Trump makes no mention of marijuana.
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 4, 2025
Fogel was released about two months after the State Department under former President Joe Biden finally designated him
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