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Ex-cop turned legal pot farmer claims he’s bigger dealer than ‘anyone sitting in prison’

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Ex-cop turned legal pot farmer claims he’s bigger dealer than ‘anyone sitting in prison’

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Kyle Kazan is a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who once had to arrest a man he pulled up next to at a red light who had a marijuana plant sticking out of his convertible with the top down.

“We stopped at the red light, and he had a giant plant in the back seat of his car,” Kazan told Fox News Digital. “And then, when I looked at him, people are laughing. I mean it was so ridiculous. And then he saluted me.”

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Now Kazan’s one of the biggest legal pot growers in the country, the co-founder and CEO of Glass House Brands, which he says produces more than 600,000 pounds of weed a year and expects to break the million mark soon. 

The company owns 6 million square feet of greenhouse space, he said, but is using less than half of that.

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Glass House Brands co-founder and CEO Kyle Kazan speaks via Zoom about the fairness of his sprawling legal marijuana business with thousands of nonviolent pot deals behind bars around the U.S. (Fox News Digital)

After breaking into the legal pot business with some shady partners, including an associate of the infamous LA mogul Suge Knight, Kazan said he cleaned things up, attracted legitimate investors and cultivated a California powerhouse.

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But there’s a darker side of the legalized pot business, says the man who has delivered public speeches while wearing a shirt declaring, “No one should be in prison for a plant.”

Thousands of people are serving felony prison sentences for nonviolent marijuana dealing that pale in comparison to the scale of his operation.

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Thriving marijuana plants pack the Glass House greenhouse in southern California. (Glass House Brands)

“Justice, then, certainly isn’t blind now, is it?” Kazan said.

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According to Kazan’s estimate, there are between 2,700 and 3,000 people imprisoned on marijuana distribution charges in federal prisons. There are thousands more in state prisons. The Last Prisoner Project, a Colorado-based nonprofit, estimates that in 2018 there were 32,000 inmates around the country on cannabis-related charges.

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That’s just wrong, Kazan argued, especially when none of those people moved anywhere near as much weight as his company.

An exterior photo of a row of Glass House Brands greenhouses in southern California. CEO Kyle Kazan says the company owns 6 million square feet of greenhouse space for its legal marijuana farming. (Glass House Brands)

He takes the issue seriously and has even flown across the country to speak on behalf of nonviolent marijuana dealers facing decades in prison.

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“I flew down to the federal courthouse in Augusta, (Georgia), at the request of a guy named Jose Valero Jr. in 2022, because he reached out to me on social media and said, ‘I’m taking a plea. I’m going to get sentenced,’” Kazan told Fox News Digital. 

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Valero was facing three charges related to eight pounds of pot, Kazan said. That’s about as much as he might sweep off the floor in one of his greenhouses and throw out on a given day, he said.

“That’s what I point out, like the judge, the defendant, everybody could own – legally – my stock with a Charles Schwab account, right now, from the courthouse,” he said. “And you’re sentencing this young man?”

Weldon Angelos, Bella Thorne, Kyle Kazan and Supa Peach pose before participating in a panel during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center March 19, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Gary Miller/Getty Images for Glass House Brands)

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He is calling for clemency for nonviolent dealers as well as reasonable regulations for the marijuana industry. And he has slammed politicians in both parties, especially President Biden, over the number of pot dealers still incarcerated today.

“Mr. Biden, unfortunately, has not wavered in his commitment to keeping people in prison, unless you’re a famous WNBA player sitting in Mr. Putin’s prison. And I’m happy she’s home, and I’m happy that he went to bat for her,” he said, wagging a pen in front of a camera. 

“But you don’t have to trade away a merchant of death when you have this, and you just need 3,000 signatures to end it.”

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He said marijuana users should be treated like alcohol users — allowed to partake legally but limited to reasonable, safe behavior.

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“San Francisco and the craziness in our state has made a mockery of my argument because they’re saying, ‘Oh, you just want people splayed out in the streets, and you want needles in parks where kids play,” he said. “No, I don’t. I also don’t want people out there running around with a beer, drinking in public. There needs to be some laws around this, but you can do this in a sane, rational way.”

Glass House Brands CEO Kyle Kazan says the legal marijuana grower produces more than 600,000 pounds of pot a year, far more than any dealer sitting in prison. (Glass House Brands)

Kazan also weighed in on a recent high-profile case involving a woman who fell into a “marijuana-induced psychosis” after smoking a high-potency strain of boutique pot, then fatally stabbed her boyfriend and plunged the knife into her own neck multiple times before police arrived.

He compared the high THC content she consumed to Jack Daniel’s whiskey having more alcohol than a beer.

 

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“It’s a lot less potent, but when you drink enough of it, you’re going to get to the same place,” he said.

He said he disagreed with the outcome of her trial, in which she was acquitted.

“It needs to be some personal responsibility,” he said. “When I read that story, I shook my head. If you make a choice to obliterate yourself with alcohol or whatever, I think you should still bear the consequences of your actions.”

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Oregon

Biggest Winners and Losers From Oregon’s Spring Game

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Biggest Winners and Losers From Oregon’s Spring Game


The Oregon Ducks spring game ended with the Combat Ducks defeating the Fighting Ducks 17-10 in front of 46,000 fans at Autzen Stadium. With the Ducks football team now having their sights set on fall camp after the spring game, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Oregon spring game.

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Winners:

Dakorien Moore

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Oregon football wide receiver Dakorien Moore, right, is congratulated by football teammates including Dante Moore, left, after making it into the final round of the men’s long jump during the Oregon Team Invitational track and field meet at Hayward Field April 17, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moore wasn’t able to tap into his full potential in the 2025 season due to an injury that held him out for — games during the middle of the season. Moore was a star on the field during the spring game and left his mark in the fourth quarter after a 60-yard touchdown reception from Ducks quarterback Brock Thomas with 21 seconds left to put the Combat Ducks ahead 17-10. 

Moore caught passes from both Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. Moore finished the spring game with five receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. 

Evan Stewart

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Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) poses during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stewart missed the entirety of the 2025 season, and Ducks fans got their first look at Stewart since 2024. Stewart didn’t take long to get Autzen Stadium on their feet, as he took a pass from Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola down the sideline for a 76-yard touchdown. 

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Stewart talked to the media after the spring game and showed some love to the Oregon fans in attendance, as well as his touchdown.

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“It’s exciting, I’ve actually never scored in a spring game before, that was my first time, a lot of fans today, felt like a real game-day experience, it was a great feeling, thank god I’m back,” said Stewart.

The Quarterback Room

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Oregon’s Dante Moore celebrates during the first half of he Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene April 25, 2026 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dylan Raiola made his debut in front of Ducks fans in the spring game and showed exactly why Ducks coach Dan Lanning targeted him in the transfer portal. Raiola made several key passes, including a 76-yard completion for a touchdown to Evan Stewart. Ducks quarterbacks Brock Thomas and Dante Moore both tossed touchdown passes during the spring game as well. 

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Losers:

Special Teams

The Ducks had kicking woes throughout the course of the spring game. Oregon kicker Gage Hurych missed from 51 and 52 yards, but was able to connect from 35 yards. The Ducks have a plethora of kickers, including Rocco Graziano and Keaton Emmett. There will be plenty of time for Oregon to find their kicker for the 2026 season, but there may be some growing pains along the way. The Ducks kickers were perfect on extra points.

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Dierre Hill Jr.

Hill Jr. muffed one punt and bobbled another during the spring game. While Hill jr. may not be the starting punt returner in 2026, ball security is a part of the game that coach Dan Lanning emphasizes and will be something Hill Jr. will have to improve before the beginning of next season. 

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With the Ducks’ spring game in the books, the next time Ducks fans will be able to watch Oregon will be Sept. 5 at Autzen Stadium against Boise State.

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Utah

Utah Republicans head to competitive June primaries after convention

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Utah Republicans head to competitive June primaries after convention


Utah Republicans are heading toward several competitive June primaries following the state party convention.

Rep. Blake Moore will advance to a Republican primary after falling short of the threshold needed to secure the nomination.

“I have always been a convention-supported candidate, but today I’m asking you to make me the outright winner so that I will go spend the next six months making sure every American knows the difference between common sense and crazy,” Moore said, pointing to tax cuts and endorsements.

MORE | Local Politics:

Delegates instead backed challenger Karianne Lisonbee, who won more than 60% of the vote, sending Moore into a primary despite his signature-gathering effort to also secure a place on the ballot.

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“There are always going to be results that you don’t anticipate,” Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson said.

In Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Celeste Maloy and challenger Phil Lyman also advanced to a June primary after a tightly contested convention vote. Maloy received 51% support, while Lyman received 49%.

Maloy emphasized her legislative experience and accomplishments in office.

“Experience and know-how really matter in this job,” Maloy said. “I’ve been doing the job for just a little more than two years. I’m passing bills that fix problems in Utah.”

“The stakes are high,” Lyman said. “I’m telling you, there is a game that’s being played, and we need to understand that the stakes are very high for our children.”

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Axson said the close results are likely to energize voters ahead of the primary.

“I think it will keep people engaged,” Axson said. “We’re going to have a lot of people who are interested, and they’ll be leaning into these races and their preferred candidates.”

The Republican primaries are scheduled for June, when voters across Utah will make the final decision on the party’s nominees.

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Washington

Trump, first lady evacuated after security incident at Washington dinner

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Trump, first lady evacuated after security incident at Washington dinner


Merve Berker

26 April 2026Update: 26 April 2026

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated Saturday night from the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC, after a security-related incident at the event.

Trump and top-level administration officials seated by him at the head table were escorted out by Secret Service agents as part of heightened security measures, while other guests remained inside the Washington Hilton ballroom.

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The president and Vice President JD Vance were later reported to be “safe and secure.”

Witnesses reported hearing loud noises during the event.

“We were sitting here, and we just heard a loud ‘pop, pop, pop.’ Everybody just went under the table, and we didn’t know what was happening,” broadcaster NewsNation quoted its White House correspondent Kellie Meyer as saying.

The head table was rushed off the stage as part of security measures, while other guests remained inside the ballroom.

Meyer said she observed Cabinet members being escorted out of the venue.

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Further details were not immediately available regarding the nature of the incident or any injuries.

Host Weija Jiang later informed guests that the event would resume at a later time.



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