Boxing great Mike Tyson told Newsmax on Monday about his campaign for cannabis reform.
Tyson is part of the Coalition of Athletes and Entertainers Supporting President Trump's Policy Objectives, which reportedly sent President Donald Trump a letter urging him to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III narcotic and easing regulations on banking services for licensed cannabis businesses.
The letter, also signed by the likes of NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, online streamer and Trump supporter Adin Ross, and rappers Wyclef Jean, Lil Pump and Ralo, also noted clemency actions Trump took in his first term, including the pardoning of Weldon Angelos over a cannabis-related conviction. The group also chastised President Joe Biden for failing "to deliver on his pledge to address marijuana-related injustices."
"People go to consume anyway, so why not consume safely, right?" Tyson told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren." "During prohibition, people drank, and a lot of people died and got sick. And so, they made it safe, and then they made it legal. And we ask them to do the same thing with cannabis."
Other Schedule I narcotics include heroin, LSD and the hypnotic sedative methaqualone, and are considered "high abuse potential with no accepted medical use" that cannot be prescribed, dispensed, or administered, according to the National Institutes for Health.
Tyson noted that even drugs such as cocaine are not Schedule 1; cocaine is Schedule II, along with fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone and others that have "high abuse potential with severe psychological or physical dependence" but have an accepted medical use and cane be prescribed, dispensed, or administered, according to the NIH.
"You know, cocaine is Leve 2, and come on, [cannabis] can't be more dangerous than cocaine," Tyson said. "Give me a break. If you were doing a show right now, who would you rather speak to a pot consumer like me or some full-blown alcoholic."
The coalition argued in its letter that cannabis' listing as Schedule I narcotic "is scientifically outdated, economically detrimental, and at odds with modern medical understanding." The group added that a Section III designation would "harmonize federal law with state policies, promote innovation, encourage research, and drive economic growth."
"We have to make it safer," Tyson said. "We have to make clean cannabis. We have to have laws and make sure any cannabis that being purchased has to come from legal cannabis dispensaries. None of these black-market guys that are killing us, making us sick out here in the street. The time for those guys are over. They need to deal with the full extent of the law."
Marijuana has been legalized for recreational use in 24 states and the District of Columbia, according to The Cannabis Times, and a total of 39 states have legalized it for medical use.
Tyson said he smokes marijuana "all day, every day" and said it has had a dramatic effect on his life.
"When I first started boxing, you couldn't smoke cannabis," Tyson said. "It was banned. And you saw how my life was then, right? Since I've been using cannabis on a regular basis, you see how my life is now. You know, you can just look at the two and you can tell which is the better person. The guy who drank alcohol every day of his life while he was being this great boxer, or the guy who's right now a retired boxer, businessman, and he's enjoying his life without any chaos."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.