420
Every year, enthusiasts new and seasoned alike, gather to celebrate this wonderful plant we call cannabis. New products are unveiled, rituals of consumption are shared, and music and food enjoy a heightened reality as peaceful gatherings unite this evolving community in the name of jovial high times.
But while the celebrations pop off, while the stigma continues to dissolve slowly and more states wake up to the potential of this plant, many wounds from the “war” on drugs remain open and largely ignored.
Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic uptick in advocacy and awareness surrounding the subject of cannabis, perhaps none more dire and front-and-center than the unjust incarceration of individuals for non violent cannabis related crimes. In some instances, a charge for a minuscule amount of the plant can yield a lengthy prison sentence.
On the LEUNE Instagram feed as well as below, you will find 36 individuals who are currently serving time for cannabis. We hope that a glimpse into their reality lights a spark to do more - whether it’s helping to spread the word or becoming engaged in your community’s efforts to right these wrongs. And while it can sometimes feel like a daunting task, remember this: advocacy works.
People serving time are receiving pardons, sentences are being reduced and laws to decriminalize are lessening charges in some areas. Included among the images below are 12 people who were serving a sentence and have since been pardoned and/or freed from prison. Many of these releases are directly due to the push for change combined with the work of various organizations fueled by people like you. We will continue to say it : cannabis has a voice, and participation in the dialog only emboldens the scope of what we can accomplish. There is no “I” in weed, but the power of “we” is abundantly clear.
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LEUNE would like to thank Last Prisoner Project for providing resources to help propel this activation. LEUNE is proud to continue to align LPP's continued work as they lead the charge for reform freeing those in prison during this temporarily unbalanced time.
Click and visit Last Prisoner Project to take action and donate.
