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LPP, MPP, law enforcement and others call for the release of cannabis prisoners in light of Covid-19
Sarah Gersten • Mar 26, 2020
Washington, D.C. — The Last Prisoner Project and other organizations are urging law enforcement officials to dramatically curtail arrests for non-violent crimes, including ceasing arrests for cannabis offenses. In addition to curtailing arrests, the organizations are calling for officials to release or grant clemency to those incarcerated for cannabis offenses along with dramatically reducing the number of incarcerated non-violent prisoners, whether sentenced or un-sentenced.
The Marijuana Policy Project, Last Prisoner Project, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Clergy for a New Drug Policy, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, National Cannabis Industry Association, Students for Sensible Drug Policy , and National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) have sent a
Public health experts have warned that the coronavirus poses an extreme threat not only to inmates, but also to the staff that serve them, as well as to their families and communities. The conditions in prisons and jails, such as sharing small cells, going into crowded day rooms, and sleeping just feet away from toilets, are known to cause disease and infection to run rampant. Jails are already seeing a spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases. It has been
Another cause of concern is that asymptomatic individuals can spread the virus. As a consequence, each law enforcement-civilian interaction includes a risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus to either party. According to
In addition to New York, law enforcement officers have tested positive for the virus in at least 14 other states, including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and several law enforcement agencies, including in Pennsylvania and Ohio, are already taking action to curtail arrests for non-violent offenses until the country is better able to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
,, Statement from Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel at the Last Prisoner Project: , “Our constituents, many of whom are over the age of 60 and have underlying health conditions, are imprisoned because of a plant that has now been deemed an ‘essential’ service by jurisdictions across the country during this time of crisis. Releasing cannabis prisoners now is not only the right thing to do from a justice perspective, but also from a public health perspective.”
Statement from Steve Hawkins, executive director at the Marijuana Policy Project: “There is no justification for arresting and jailiing individuals for marijuana offenses during this crisis. It is in the best interest of law enforcement and the greater population to cease marijuana arrests and reduce arrests for non-violent crimes. It is also vital for individuals who are incarcerated for cannabis offenses to be released or granted clemency in order to prevent a potentially disastrous and deathly situation.”
Statement from Police Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director at the Law Enforcement Action Partnership: “COVID-19 is forcing us to seriously consider what constitutes a genuine public safety threat. Criminalizing people for marijuana has always been a waste of time and resources; now it's also unnecessarily endangering lives by exposing more people to the crowded and unsanitary conditions of our jails and prisons.”
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Today Last Prisoner Project (LPP), alongside other partner organizations, hosted a 420 Unity Day of Action press conference at the House Triangle in front of the U.S. Capitol building where we were joined by elected officials who have been leading the fight for cannabis reform including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) to encourage their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to end the hypocrisy of cannabis criminalization. Rep. Pressley said that, “criminalizing marijuana is part of the failed war on drugs and sustained a mass incarceration crisis that has ravaged our communities, destabilized our amilies and inflicted generational trauma. When we’re talking about the war on drugs, cannabis justice and the shameful crisis of mass incarceration, there are no excuses for the problem. No excuses, but there is a solution—and clemency is a part of that solution.” She continued saying, “Cannabis justice is racial justice. Cannabis justice is economic justice. Cannabis justice is reparative. It is restorative justice. And the time to act is now. “The War on Drugs has failed, and it’s past time that cannabis be descheduled,” said Wyden. “That’s why I am proud to join forces for the 420 Unity Day of Action to bring America’s cannabis policies into the 21st century. But we can’t stop at descheduling. Congress must do more to repair the harm caused by a decades old-drug war—like passing the Cannabis Administration And Opportunity Act I introduced with Leader Schumer and Senator Booker. Meaningful cannabis reform will ensure communities of color receive equal justice and pave the way for small businesses to thrive in their local communities." Rep. Blumenauer said, “Forces are aligned to be able to end this failed war on drugs and mobilize unprecedented support across the country. And, frankly, the Biden administration has been doing a little realignment, which I welcome. But it’s time to not just realign but get it done. President Biden, if I was interested in mobilizing young people—if I was interested in energizing them—this is a no-brainer.” On April 18th, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) joined advocates to convene at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium at 9 a.m. for Lobby Day programming and meetings with elected officials and their staff to apply public pressure on Congress and the President to take action to fully legalize cannabis, free those still in prison, and provide retroactive relief. Capping off the 420 Unity Day of Action, the public is invited to attend a candlelight vigil in front of the White House at Lafayette Square on April 18 from 7-10 p.m . For supporters who can’t make it to D.C. but would still like to join our fight for cannabis justice, we encourage you to contact your elected officials by sending them a letter and calling their offices urging them to decriminalize cannabis now. 420 Unity Day of Action is part of the National Cannabis Festival which takes place at RFK Campus Festival Grounds on April 19th and 20th where directly-impacted advocates will join celebrity voices like M-1 of Dead Prez and JoJo Simmons for multiple panel conversations with partners on how we can push the movement forward. This will culminate with headlined concerts by Thundercat and Wu-Tang Clan with Redman . Thanks to the broader array of advocate groups spanning across political boundaries that are supporting the 420 Unity Day of Action: Last Prisoner Project (LPP) ( @lastprisonerproject ) Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) ( @drugpolicyalliance ) Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) ( @ssdpofficial ) NORML ( @natlnorml ) Veterans Cannabis Coalition ( @veteranscannacoalition ) Parabola Center ( @parabolacenter ) Reason Foundation Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) ( @leactionpartnership ) National Cannabis Festival ( @natlcannabisfest ) National Craft Cannabis Coalition ( @nationalcraftcannabiscoalition ) National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) ( @nationalcannabisindustry ) Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) ( @mincannbusassoc ) Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) ( @indigenouscannabisindustry ) Asian Cannabis Roundtable ( @asiancannabisroundtable ) National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL) ( @nabcl_llc ) FreedomGrow ( @FreedomGrowForever ) Marijuana Justice ( @thcjusticenow ) Doctors for Drug Policy Reform ( @d4dprorg ) United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) ( @ufcwunion ) Bay Area Latino Cannabis Alliance (BALCA) ( @balca_bayarea ) Supernova Women ( @supernovawomen ) Minorities for Medical Marijuana ( @m4mmunited ) Better Organizing for Winning Legalization ( @thebowlpac ) Midwest Cannawomen ( @midwestcannawomen ) DCMJ ( @DCMJ2014 ) Just Leadership USA (JLUSA) ( @justleadershipusa ) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ( @nacdl ) United For Decrim Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) ( @marijuanapolicyproject )
30+ Organizations Join Forces for 420 Unity Day of Action Press Conference, Lobby Day, and White House Candlelight Vigil Washington D.C., April 16 – Last Prisoner Project (LPP) has mobilized the largest coalition of bi-partisan cannabis advocacy, industry, and grassroots organizations, as well as individual activists to convene in Washington D.C. on April 18, 2024 , for a 420 Unity Day of Action . A number of lobbying events have been planned to apply public pressure on Congress and the President to take action to fully legalize cannabis, free those still in prison, and provide retroactive relief. Advocates will be joined by elected officials who have been leading the fight for cannabis reform including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), and others to encourage their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to end the hypocrisy of cannabis criminalization. On April 17 , the coalition will hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol’s House Triangle , organized by LPP, at 8:45 a.m. prior to the start of the National Cannabis Festival Policy Summit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library where LPP is hosting Lobby Day Training from 4-5 p.m. in Conference Room 401-F. On April 18 , coalition advocates will convene at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium at 9 a.m. for Lobby Day programming and meetings with elected officials and their staff. Capping off the 420 Unity Day of Action, the public is invited to attend a candlelight vigil in front of the White House at Lafayette Square on April 18 from 7-10 p.m . Since announcing the 420 Unity Day of Action, there have been a number of developments that continue to build momentum for cannabis justice. After President Biden mentioned his cannabis actions during his State of the Union address , the White House hosted a roundtable to uplift the Administration’s expanded pardons. Additionally, members of Congress have continued to send letters to the Biden Administration and the DEA to encourage the full descheduling of cannabis. Although 24 states and D.C. have legalized adult-use cannabis sales and the vast majority of the U.S. population now lives in states with some form of legal cannabis, tens of thousands of people remain in state and federal prison. It is imperative that as the federal government seeks to downgrade cannabis’s status from a Schedule I drug , advocates are pushing for the full legalization and decriminalization of cannabis. For supporters who can’t make it to D.C. but would still like to join our fight for cannabis justice, we encourage you to contact your elected officials by sending them a letter and calling their offices urging them to decriminalize cannabis now. 420 Unity Day of Action is part of the National Cannabis Festival which takes place at RFK Campus Festival Grounds on April 19th and 20th where directly-impacted advocates will join celebrity voices like M-1 of Dead Prez and JoJo Simmons for multiple panel conversations with partners on how we can push the movement forward. This will culminate with headlined concerts by Thundercat and Wu-Tang Clan with Redman . The broad array of advocate groups spans across political boundaries and includes: Last Prisoner Project (LPP) ( @lastprisonerproject ) Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) ( @drugpolicyalliance ) Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) ( @ssdpofficial ) NORML ( @natlnorml ) Veterans Cannabis Coalition ( @veteranscannacoalition ) Parabola Center ( @parabolacenter ) Reason Foundation Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) ( @leactionpartnership ) National Cannabis Festival ( @natlcannabisfest ) National Craft Cannabis Coalition ( @nationalcraftcannabiscoalition ) National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) ( @nationalcannabisindustry ) Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) ( @mincannbusassoc ) Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) ( @indigenouscannabisindustry ) Asian Cannabis Roundtable ( @asiancannabisroundtable ) National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL) ( @nabcl_llc ) FreedomGrow ( @FreedomGrowForever ) Marijuana Justice ( @thcjusticenow ) Doctors for Drug Policy Reform ( @d4dprorg ) United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) ( @ufcwunion ) Bay Area Latino Cannabis Alliance (BALCA) ( @balca_bayarea ) Supernova Women ( @supernovawomen ) Minorities for Medical Marijuana ( @m4mmunited ) Better Organizing for Winning Legalization ( @thebowlpac ) Midwest Cannawomen ( @midwestcannawomen ) DCMJ ( @DCMJ2014 ) Just Leadership USA (JLUSA) ( @justleadershipusa ) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ( @nacdl ) United For Decrim Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) ( @marijuanapolicyproject ) For Media Inquiries: Jason Ortiz Director of Strategic Initiatives press@lastprisonerproject.org ABOUT LAST PRISONER PROJECT Last Prisoner Project is dedicated to freeing those incarcerated due to the War on Drugs, reuniting their families, and helping them rebuild their lives. As laws change, there remains a fundamental injustice for individuals whose conviction is no longer a crime. We work to repair these harms through legal intervention, constituent support, direct advocacy, and policy change. Visit www.lastprisonerproject.org or text FREEDOM to 24365 to learn more.
This 4/20, consider giving your stoner gifts with purpose. By choosing gifts that align with the mission of the Last Prisoner Project , you can make a significant impact on the lives of those affected by outdated cannabis laws. Here's a guide to stylish presents that also contribute to the Last Prisoner Project's mission of achieving reparative justice in the cannabis community. The Pleasures x Reebok Club C Bulc “Not Guilty” Sneaker Los Angeles streetwear label Pleasures and Reebok have cooked up a sneaker for 4/20 , but rather than play around with stoner stereotypes or motifs they’ve decided to make a more serious point about who’s been left behind in the process of marijuana legalization. They were made to call attention to those who are still incarcerated for marijuana charges, even as the drug has been widely legalized across the United States. The sneakers come as part of a wider a T-shirt, shorts and hoodie. To coincide with the capsule, Reebok has pledged to donate $10,000 to Last Prisoner Project Lucky Brand Highest Quality Collection Lucky Brand’s Highest Quality Capsule Collection, features cannabis-inspired styles made with elevated techniques, exemplifying the casual cool and culturally relevant lifestyle of laid-back comfort. The campaign highlights stories of the progression of cannabis perception in society by showcasing a variety of personal perspectives – from criminalization to culture to agriculture. $10 from every Highest Quality item sold in April 2024 will be donated to Last Prisoner Project . Last Prisoner Project Merch Store Buy cannabis reform hoodies, t-shirts, hats and other merchandise that let you advocate for social justice and cannabis reform everywhere you go. These items go directly to LPP’s funds to support our constituents and run our programs. FashionKush "Cannabis Is Not A Crime" Sweatshirt Make a statement for social justice & cannabis reform with our Cannabis is Not a Crime collection... because no one should be in jail for weed. $1 from each purchase of our Cannabis is Not a Crime collection will be donated to our friends at the last prisoner project in support of their efforts to redress the harms caused by cannabis prohibition through Last Prisoner Project 's Constituent Support Fund. The 420 Grassland Runwell 41mm Watch Designed in collaboration with actor and Michigan native Quincy Isaiah, the Grassland Runwell is created to bring awareness to the racial disparity in marijuana arrests and help drive long-needed change. A portion of the proceeds of each watch—limited to 420 pieces—is pledged to support criminal justice reform policies. “How a Plant Became Illegal” T-Shirt As millions walk into their local dispensaries every day to buy cannabis, there are tens of thousands incarcerated for doing the very same thing. Last Prisoner Project’s collaboration with For Everyone Collective aims to raise awareness for those impacted by cannabis prohibition and shed light on this injustice. The shirts were designed and printed by formerly incarcerated people and all profits from this collection will go towards LPP’s Constituent Support Fund to aid those currently incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Purchase Cannabis from Justice Partners Our Roll It Up For Justice Program is a nationwide campaign encouraging cannabis businesses to give customers the opportunity to donate to Last Prisoner Project at check out. Small change can make a big impact, and every cent raised through the program gets us closer to the day when every last cannabis prisoner is set free. No dispensary around you currently participating? Encourage your budtender to check it out . And as always, make sure to buy weed from the people that have been traditionally criminalized the most including Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, and women legacy operators. Cheech and Chong Judges Water The Judge's Water™ is a treasure for any true vodka lover, and the bottle is every stoner's dream… But for us, this project is more than just a cool concept. With over half a century advocating for the green, and a couple of mugshots to show for it, Cheech and Chong have seen firsthand the sting of outdated drug laws. Millions of Americans are locked up in states where cannabis is legal for non-violent drug offenses. All because of the backwards drug laws we've had in this country for decades. That just doesn’t sit right with us, man. It's a harsh reality we want to help change. That’s why a portion of all proceeds from The Judge’s Water™ are going to support The Last Prisoner Project’s mission to ensure that every last cannabis prisoner is released, & to help reintegrate them back into society. GRAV Classic Spoon As part of our ongoing partnership with Last Prisoner Project, we’ve teamed up to release a limited edition spoon. This glossy black hand pipe features the same high-capacity bowl and inverted ash-catching mouthpiece as our Classic Spoon. It’s also etched with both the GRAV and LPP emblems. Pass it around and get the conversation started. 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Last Prisoner Project. CHNGE.com Cannabis Equity Clothing Nobody Should be in Prison for Weed! CHNGE.com has created this line of cannabis equity clothing in support of The Last Prisoner Project and Marijuana Matters, two non-profits focused on cannabis criminal justice reform and economic opportunity in regulated cannabis markets for those disadvantaged by marijuana’s criminalization. Shop their tees, crop tops, and longsleeves here . Make a Donation to Last Prisoner Project If your stoner friends already have every cool accessory on the market, consider making a direct donation in their name to the Last Prisoner Project, to support our work to free people incarcerated for cannabis offenses.
