Bringing Light to a Dark Cell Mohamed Taher's Fight For Clemency

There has never been a better time to enact real change as a marijuana advocate. The current administration has said they are actively processing clemency paperwork to approve before January 20th. Please take 5 minutes to send any words or letters of support for Buffalo native and Federal cannabis prisoner Mohamed Taher to beth@freedomgrow.org.

Moe was born in Lackawanna, New York, and was raised on the East Side. He has three children he has not held in years. Any words of support received before January 20th will be forwarded directly to the US Pardon Attorney. After the 20th, we will send them to President Trump. Contact: beth@freedomgrow.org

As of January 2024, there are 23 licensed facilities in Western New York, with overall state sales surpassing 1 billion dollars last week. Over the previous two years, New York State cannabis-related criminal convictions were sealed for over 200,000 people, with nearly half a million additional convictions eligible for expungement, per the New York Office of Cannabis Management’s latest market report.  Despite exponential commercial growth on a State level, no progress has been made on a federal level, leaving those incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses without any choice but to wait in prison for change, as generational wealth is built around them.

Some were convicted for cannabis distribution offenses here in New York. One is Mohamed Taher, a 46-year-old Lackawanna native midway through serving a 25-year sentence for distributing 50kg (100 pounds) of dried flower over two years. Labeled a Drug Kingpin and a criminal mastermind by the Feds, this may seem like a large amount for a regular consumer. In 2022, when the New York market was emerging, it was estimated that 600,000 lbs. of dry cannabis was generated by suppliers that year. In ’22, Mo’s “criminal enterprise” would make up roughly .00035% of the market share, and this sector has almost doubled since then. Right now, a little over 200 dispensaries generate nearly a billion dollars in marijuana sales, and analysts anticipate there will be thousands of stores in the next 2 years. As a 17-year veteran of this industry, I have personally handled over 100 times the amount of cannabis that he has been put in jail for a quarter of a century.

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, I never imagined a minor mistake would lead me here. When I was convicted, marijuana was viewed as a dangerous substance, and the laws reflected that fear. However, public opinion has dramatically shifted over the years. Today, a growing majority of Americans recognize marijuana not just as a plant but as a potential catalyst for economic growth and healing. I urge you to advocate for reform and support my petition for commutation. Together, we can help ensure that no one else has to endure the same fate for a decision increasingly recognized as a societal misstep. Thank you for listening and for your support in this vital cause. - Mohamed Taher

Beth Myers is a fourth-generation Buffalonian and is a cannabis industry pioneer, assisting with the licensing and startup of companies in 24 US States and four countries. She lives in Denver, CO, as the CEO of CannManage and CannManage.ai, and serves as an Advisory Board member with Freedom Grow.

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