A Senate committee has approved a resolution calling for the release of a U.S. citizen incarcerated over marijuana in Russia, emphasizing that he was a lawful medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania using state-legal products as an opioid alternative.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the legislation sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) during an executive session on Tuesday. The concurrent resolution also calls on President Joe Biden’s federal government to step up efforts to secure his release.
The measure says the 14-year sentence that Marc Fogel received after being convicted of “drug smuggling” over possession of a half-ounce of cannabis is politically motivated and disproportionate, especially when taking into account the fact that he was using marijuana for medical purposes in accordance with a doctor’s recommendation.
“Marc Fogel has undergone three back surgeries, a spinal fusion, a hip replacement, and two knee surgeries to correct various injuries and health issues, which have left him with chronic back pain and a permanent limp,” the measure says. And he “did not wish to use opioids to manage his pain and was instead prescribed medical marijuana for pain management in a manner consistent with the State law of Pennsylvania.”
Fogel “stated he intended
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