A celebration of cannabis, returning this weekend to the Kutztown area, is set to feature the story of — and appearances by — freed Russian prisoner Marc Fogel , according to organizers.
Fogel is an American history teacher from the Pittsburgh area who was traveling to Russia in 2021 to work at a Moscow school when he was detained. His family and supporters said he had been traveling with medically prescribed marijuana.
Almost a year later, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The United States negotiated his release in February in a prisoner swap between the two superpower nations.
Organizers of this weekend’s Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival: Fall Marketplace say they’ll share Fogel’s story with a dedicated space called the Marc Fogel Freedom Lounge.
The festival is scheduled