Last Prisoner Project
Commonwealth Alternative Care is proud to be partnering with Last Prisoner Project (LPP.) LPP is a nonprofit dedicated to releasing cannabis prisoners, clearing their record and helping them rebuild their lives as they re-enter society.
LPP states that in the United States, “the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and incarceration remains. Through intervention, advocacy, and awareness the LPP will work to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws and policies.
In addition to accepting donations for LPP at our Taunton location, CAC, LPP and Her Highness have teamed up to create the Her Highness Last Prisoner Project pre roll with lighter. Available in strains Jilly Bean and LA Kush Cake, for 18 dollars patients will receive a .5 gram pre roll and a gold, adjustable lighter. Fifty percent of the proceeds support women that have been unjustly imprisoned on low-level cannabis offenses. Her Highness pledges to use their voice and resources to shine a light on those struggling to reclaim their rights.
With the motto “Change is Coming,” the Last Prisoner Project stands for not resting until the last cannabis prisoner is set free. According to LPP, there have been 15 million cannabis arrests in the past decade alone. In the U.S, 40,000 individuals are incarcerated for marijuana offenses meanwhile the country has gained 10 billion dollars in annual, legal revenue.
The following states have not decriminalized marijuana: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Each of these 19 states imposes jail time and a hefty fine for simple possession of marijuana. In Alabama, for example, having possession of any amount of marijuana is now a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a year in jail and/or a 6,000 dollar penalty. Fourteen of those states have also not legalized medical marijuana.
In current news, a draft of the Cannabis Admissions and Opportunity Act of 2021 (CAOA) was recently released to the public. This act does not legalize marijuana nationwide, however, under this act it would see Congress remove marijuana from the Control Substances Act, “thus removing most federal penalties for marijuana cultivation, distribution and possession,” according to LPP.
LPP states that this means that if the bill were signed into law, “taxed and regulated adult-use cannabis sales would not automatically be permitted throughout the nation. Individual states would still have to opt-in to state level decriminalization and regulated sales. State-regulated marketplaces, on the other hand, would start to operate under co-existing federal and state regulation and taxation systems.”
“In addition to removing many federal penalties for cannabis possession and distribution, the CAOA allows for the expungement/sealing of (some) federal cannabis-related convictions, and gives (some) individuals currently serving federal sentences related to cannabis the opportunity to have their sentences reviewed and potentially vacated.”
CAC is proud to be partnering with LPP and hopes to continue contributing towards the efforts of releasing cannabis prisoners from their incarcerations. For more information and a full, detailed analysis of the CAOA, please visit www.lastprisonerproject.org.
https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state
https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/