Marijuana Moment: American Who Was Jailed In Russia For Medical Marijuana To Speak At Pro-Legalization Event After Being Freed By Trump Admin Deal

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An American citizen who served years in a Russian prison over marijuana possession before his release was secured by the Trump administration earlier this year will be a featured speaker at a Pennsylvania cannabis festival this coming weekend.

Marc Fogel will “make his first public appearance advocating for legalization” at the 2025 Pennsylvania CannFest as state reform efforts continue to heat up in the legislature, organizers said. They’ve also invited Gov. Josh Shaprio (D), who supports legalization, to participate.

Prior to his incarceration in Russia, Fogel was a registered Pennsylvania medical cannabis patient—a point repeatedly highlighted by bipartisan congressional lawmakers as they urged executive action to ensure his safe return to the U.S.

The State Department under former President Joe Biden eventually designated Fogel as a “wrongfully detained” individual toward the end of his term, after previously resisting the move. The American teacher was serving a 14-year sentence after being convicted of “drug smuggling” over possession of a half-ounce of cannabis.

Ahead of his designation as wrongfully detained, there were repeated calls for the diplomatic status change, including a letter sent to the Biden administration by over a dozen members of Congress that emphasized that Fogel’s access to marijuana was “necessary to subdue his pain.”

“Marc’s ordeal is a stark reminder of why Pennsylvania must modernize its laws,” Trish Johnson, CFO of Zick Productions, which is organizing CannFest, said in a press release. “Governor Shapiro’s leadership is critical to ensuring no one else faces such injustice for using a substance that is legal for medical purposes here and recreationally in neighboring states.”

Our blog is officially live – and we’re starting where it matters most: Marc Fogel, Governor Shapiro, and the ongoing fight for reform in PA. https://t.co/8Tn6P7q7xC

— CannFest (@CannFestival) September 26, 2025

The event, which runs from October 4-5, will also feature a “Marc Fogel Lounge where patrons can enjoy the products from the festival.”

This marks the 11th year of the biannual festival, which is billed as “a space where cannabis is embraced as a path to wellness, to empowerment, to connection, and to a more open-minded, compassionate future,” Zick Productions said.

“The event brings together an ever-growing movement of small businesses, big brands, and visionaries who are reshaping how we understand health and personal freedom—reminding us that progress requires people standing together for something better,” the company said. “With this event, we hope to draw those people to Berks County, all while supporting the local economy with lodging, dining, and shopping.”

Reminiscent of Fogel’s experience, Brittney Griner—a U.S. professional basketball player who was previously incarcerated in Russia over possession of marijuana—was also set to attend a cannabis advocacy event earlier this year. But she ultimately pulled out after discovering what she felt was a threatening message in her hotel room.

In Pennsylvania, the years-long debate in the legislature over moving forward with adult-use legalization continues.

Recently, a top aide to the governor said lawmakers should stop introducing new competing marijuana legalization bills and instead focus on building consensus on the issue—but emphasized that any measure that advances needs to contain equity provisions if Shapiro is going to sign it into law.

Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who serves as chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said last month that the House “needs to pass the language in my [legalization] bill and send it to my committee” after which point he “can negotiate with the Senate and the governor.”

The Democratic-controlled House, however, has already advanced a legalization proposal this session that called for a state-run sales model. That measure was quickly quashed in Laughlin’s Senate committee, however, with the GOP lawmaker and others insisting that a more traditional approach of licensing privates businesses would have a better shot.

Laughlin separately said recently that supporters are “picking up votes” to enact the reform this session.

Shapiro, for his part, said last month that he won’t “concede” on his plan to legalize adult-use cannabis through the budget.

Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way overstated” potential revenue.

The candidate, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), pointed to neighboring Ohio, which launched its own adult-use cannabis market this year, saying “they generated about $115 million in revenue.” And while the populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected $536.5 million in cannabis revenue in the first fiscal year of implementation.

She did, however, say that if Pennsylvania moves forward on enacting the reform, she’ll “make sure that it’s banked appropriately.”

Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Democratic senator recently said that federal marijuana rescheduling—which Trump said he’d be making a decision on imminently—would be “very influential” in advancing legalization in his state, giving “political cover” to GOP members on the fence about reform.

Sen. Sharif Street (D) discussed the status of cannabis legalization efforts in the Keystone State, including a bipartisan proposal to end prohibition that he filed alongside Laughlin in July.

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The legalization bill with a state-run sales model that passed the House isn’t necessarily dead for the session as a vehicle to advance reform, however. And Democrats in the chamber recently called on voters to pressure state senators to sign off on the cannabis measure, arguing that it would benefit health and safety and bring in billions of dollars in revenue for the commonwealth.

Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, due largely to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy change—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats.

In addition to pushback from Senate Majority Leader Pittman, another Republican, Sen. Scott Martin, who chairs the influential Appropriations Committee, said earlier this month that he didn’t plan to move on any adult-use legalization bills.

Separately, just days after Laughlin and Street filed their measure, Reps. Emily Kinkead (D) and Abby Major (R)—alongside eight other cosponsors—filed legislation in the House to enact the reform. The pair have previously championed other proposals to end prohibition.

Laughlin and 16 other lawmakers also recently filed a separate bill to create a new regulatory body in the state that would begin overseeing medical cannabis while preparing to eventually handle the adult-use market as well.

Separately, a recent poll found that Pennsylvania voters say they favor a model where cannabis is sold by licensed private businesses rather than through a system of state-run stores.

Meanwhile, a Democratic lawmaker recently filed a bill that seeks to require employers to cover the costs of medical cannabis for qualifying patients receiving workers’ compensation.

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

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