"As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to a major new industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions."

-The Last Prisoner Project

As an industry professional, we know the value of our freedom to cultivate a plant that once could have put us behind bars. Since Proposition 64 passed, we’ve been able to run a successful business without law intervention, but not all other individuals who have spent time in the industry can say the same. While cannabis legalization is taking steps in the right direction, we still have work to do to grant freedom to those who suffered the unjust consequences before the plant was deemed legal. The Last Prisoner Project is a non-profit organization working toward just that - getting those in prison for non-violent cannabis offenses out and back home with their families.

The Last Prisoner Project focuses its energy on three different criminal justice reform initiatives: prisoner release, record clearing through clean slate initiatives, and re-entry programs. Simply getting prisoners released is only half the battle. These individuals face difficulties when it comes to employment opportunities, housing options, and financial aid due to their record, leading them away from the possibility of post-incarceration prosperity. This is why the Last Prisoner Project advocates for the expungement of their records and clean slate initiatives. They also work to provide these individuals with the support and resources they need so that once they're free, they can successfully restart their new lives. They fight for the "full freedom" of every imprisoned individual who was put there for unjust cannabis laws.

The stories of those who have been impacted:

In 1994, a man by the name of Michael Thompson sold cannabis to an undercover informant in Michigan. He is still in prison today, with 35 years left to serve. He is 68 years old, and an additional 35 years is essentially a life sentence. As of today, recreational cannabis has been legalized in Michigan.

In 2013, a man named Corvain was arrested for a minor role in a cannabis distribution operation. Due to his refusal to testify against others, as well as the "three strikes law," Corvain is now serving life in prison. His offenses have since been reduced to misdemeanors under California law, but the Supreme Court refuses to reconsider his sentence.

Richard DeLisi is the longest-serving non-violent cannabis prisoner, serving a 90-year sentence in Florida. He is 71 years old. He was part of a reverse-sting/entrapment operation for bringing cannabis into the state of Florida.

The Last Prisoner Project is fighting to get these men and many others free.

While we acknowledge there is still much freedom to fight for, the Last Prisoner Project has made many meaningful changes so far. In California alone, they have developed the Prison to Prosperity re-entry program, a program designed to help released prisoners find employment in the legal cannabis industry. In Colorado, they initiated the Cannabis Clemency Program and worked with local officials to secure an executive order that expands parole eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to the release of hundreds of prisoners. Learn about their other achievements by clicking here.

The United States has the largest private prison population in the world. The infographic below highlights the “Capitalizing on Mass Incarceration: U.S. Growth in Private Prisons” study by Kara Gotsch and Vinay Basti.