Former Marijuana Prisoners And Activists Stage White House Event Urging Trump To Free People Still Incarcerated Over Cannabis – Marijuana Moment
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A diverse coalition of marijuana reform advocates held an event outside the White House on Thursday in one of the latest efforts to push President Donald Trump to free those still incarcerated over cannabis.
The event, organized by the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), featured multiple speakers who shared stories about their personal experiences with the criminal justice system and their advocacy work, making the case to the administration that now is the time to put a definitive end to marijuana criminalization.
The rally was part of a “Cannabis Unity Week of Action” helmed by LPP that also involved congressional lawmakers who’ve spoken about their own efforts to advance reform on Capitol Hill.
“No matter which party is in power, I will continue to fight to free cannabis prisoners and legalize cannabis,” Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives at LPP, told Marijuana Moment. “The time for panels and PowerPoints is long past and our coalition is committed to taking the fight directly to the decision makers to build a bipartisan coalition capable of actually passing meaningful policy.”
“Our goal was and is to persuade legislators from both parties to join the 70 percent of Americans who want full legalization,” he said. “Through our combined efforts we contacted every single member of Congress, and that’s the only way we are going to win. This was just the next step in our campaign to persuade this Congress and we invite every freedom loving American to join us as we march forward toward getting the job done and bringing all our cannabis prisoners home.”
At Thursday’s event, Deshaun Durham, a constituent of LPP who received a gubernatorial pardon for a cannabis-related conviction in Kansas, directed a message to Trump: “I know you’re in there. If you can hear us, let our people home.”
“There’s thousands of people across America that are waiting to come home to their families. There’s mothers who are waiting for their sons to be seen again,” he said. “There’s so many people in the industry profiting, legally, off of the plant—so all I’m asking is, Trump, let our people home. Let’s go. Let’s get it done.”
A post shared by Jason Ortiz (@jasonjortiz)
“You’re over there sitting down trying to find ways that America can save money, but one of them is letting all our people home,” Durham said. “You know how much money that would generate for America in a legal market? You’d make so much revenue. I think you’re worried about the wrong thing, Trump. It’s time to let our people home.”
Jeremy Grove, another LPP constituent who served four years in federal prison over a cannabis conviction, said he wanted to “focus on guys still inside,” naming people such as Edwin Rubis and Pedro Moreno who are currently serving decades-long sentences over marijuana.
“The truth is is that [former President Joe Biden] made a promise to release cannabis prisoners, and he didn’t do that,” he said. “This is a chance for our president right now, Donald Trump, to do the right thing. It’s a chance for him to change history. And it’s a chance for us to get our people home.”
Adam Rosenberg, chairman of the board at the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), talked about his background “fighting for this miraculous plant,” attributing the stories of people who’ve gone through transformative medical experiences with the help of cannabis for his advocacy.
“It’s only because the human lifespan is so short that we’ve forgotten that this has been one of the most essential natural resources in human existence, and I believe that education is the way that we can compel change,” he said.
A post shared by Last Prisoner Project (@lastprisonerproject)
Trump is facing pressure on multiple fronts to fulfill campaign pledges and expand on cannabis clemency that has been achieved under his first time, as well as under the Biden administration. And in many cases, it’s those who’ve been directly impacted by criminalization who are leading the charge.
Last month, for example, an activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”
Other former marijuana prisoners who received clemency from Trump during his first term in office staged a separate event outside the White House last month, expressing gratitude for the relief they were given and calling on the new administration to grant the same kind of help to others who are still behind bars for cannabis.
But so far, Trump has personally been silent on the issue since taking office, despite endorsing marijuana rescheduling, industry banking access and a Florida adult-use legalization initiative on the campaign trail. And his officials in his administration have mixed records that has created some uncertainty about
Recently, a U.S. attorney with the Justice Department gave mixed signals about his approach to prosecuting alleged violations of federal laws by licensed marijuana businesses, saying on the one hand that prohibition must be “abided by,” but specifying that cannabis operators who are not in compliance with local laws are most at risk of enforcement action.
Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), meanwhile, said that examining a proposal to federally reschedule marijuana will be “one of my first priorities” if he’s confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process.
As far as the marijuana rescheduling process is concerned, DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled as the matter sits before the acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway drug” and linked its use to psychosis.
Separately, a marijuana industry-backed political action committee (PAC) has also released a series of ads over recent weeks that have attacked Biden’s cannabis policy record as well as the nation of Canada, promoting sometimes misleading claims about the last administration while making the case that Trump can deliver on reform.
Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his DEA of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.
Trump U.S. Attorney Who Threatened Licensed D.C. Marijuana Dispensary Sends Mixed Signals About Respecting Local Laws
Photo courtesy of Jason Ortiz/LPP.
Trump U.S. Attorney Who Threatened Licensed D.C. Marijuana Dispensary Sends Mixed Signals About Respecting Local Laws
Kyle Jaeger is Marijuana Moment’s Sacramento-based managing editor. He’s covered drug policy for more than a decade—specializing in state and federal marijuana and psychedelics issues at publications that also include High Times, VICE and attn. In 2022, Jaeger was named Benzinga’s Cannabis Policy Reporter of the Year.
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