As we push forward and keep our foot on the pedal as a nation to fight racial injustice, we want to look at other ways we can help. This week, we’d like to place the spotlight on the Last Prisoner Project. The nonprofit organization was founded by Steve DeAngelo, who is the “father” of the cannabis industry. And he is also the founder of several cannabis businesses.
What is the Last Prisoner Project?
Many people are sitting in prison cells right now for nonviolent cannabis offenses, which are no longer crimes. And, today, many individuals are making a living doing the same thing those people were put in prison for. The Last Prisoner Project’s goal is to free all the nonviolent cannabis offenders. Right now, there are around 40,000 of them in the United States alone. It’s our responsibility as a cannabis community to help free those people.
Fighting Racial Injustice & the Coronavirus
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), black people are nearly four times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession. Additionally, 52% of all drug arrests for cannabis in 2010–a year before the nation started to decriminalize cannabis–were for small amounts of the now essential plant. By supporting the Last Prisoner Project, we’re taking steps toward racial justice.
Not only does this project support the Black Lives Matter movement, but it will also help with the pandemic. The coronavirus continues to spread throughout correctional facilities. However, by freeing inmates convicted of nonviolent cannabis offenses, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 within jails and prisons.
Support the Last Prisoner Project
We made progress in decriminalizing cannabis, but there’s still lots of work to be done. Many people have suffered from criminal convictions based on nonviolent cannabis offenses and also endure the lasting pains of incarceration. Support the Last Prisoner Project’s work to bring restorative justice to the cannabis industry. Here’s what you can do:
