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One-hitters
WEED
LOGAN TRIPLETT/MSNBC/XTR
Heart-wrenching documentary features Flint native Michael Thompson, who spent decades in prison after selling weed
By Steve Neavling
MICHAEL THOMPSON NEVER
imagined that selling marijuana would have landed him in prison for decades.
But that’s what happened after he was caught selling three pounds of weed to a confidential informant in Genesee County in 1994.
While he languished behind bars, his parents and only son died. His daughters grew up without him.
Michigan’s longest serving non-violent offender, Thompson is an e ample of how the war on drugs went too far. ow Thompson, who was finally released after his sentence was commuted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2021, is the focus of an award-winning short documentary, The Sentence of Michael Thompson, that premiered on MSNBC on Sunday, with the Documentary+ debut coming on Nov. 1.
The -minute film e plores the hypocrisy of a criminal justice system that keeps non-violent offenders locked up while others profit from cannabis legalization. It includes in-depth interviews with Thompson, his attorneys, and family members.
“My thing is, no one should be in prison for marijuana today.” Thompson tells Metro Times. “No one. When does the politics stop and the love for humanity start?”
The film, presented by BC and TR, along with a ynonymous ictures production, premiered at several festivals and received critical acclaim, winning the Audience Awards at SXSW and the Chicago Critics Film Festival, the ury Award at the Riverrun International Film Festival, and the Jury and Audience Award at the alm prings International Shortfest.
The filmmakers first reached out to Thompson during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Michael’s story really resonated with me,” co-director yle Thrash tells Metro Times. “He had a story he wanted to share, and because of the pandemic, I had a lot of time.”
When Thompson was arrested, police searched his home and found 1 firearms, many of which were anti ues and stored in a locked gun safe. But due to prior drug convictions, he wasn’t legally allowed to own guns and was sentenced as a fourth-time habitual offender, which increased his penalty.
He was sentenced to 42 to 60 years in prison.
“I didn’t think I’d be in prison for 45 days,” Thompson says. “I thought the appeals court was going to throw it back on (the prosecutors’) lap. But hey, I was wrong. Twenty five years later, here I am telling this story.”
After Thompson was released, he couldn’t stop thinking of the people he spent time with behind bars.
“Everybody in prison is not bad,” Thompson said. “There are some good
Joe Biden wants everyone to know he’s not pardoning pot dealers
EVEN THOUGH CANNABIS reform advocates praised resident oe Biden for finally making good on his promise to e punge pot records, the president evidently wants folks to know that clemency doesn’t apply to dealers.
During a recent speech at Delaware State University, Biden trumpeted his record on weed but pointed out that the pardon doesn’t e tend to those who sold the stuff. The disclaimer was first covered by news site Marijuana Moment.
“And I’m keeping my promise that no one — no one should be in jail for merely using or possessing marijuana. None. None,” the Democrat said. “And the records, which hold up people from being able to get jobs and the like, should be totally e punged. Totally e punged. ou can’t sell it. But if it’s just use, you’re completely free.”
Biden’s clemency deal only applies to 6,500 people who committed a federal possession offense or who violated possession law in Washington, D.C., according to Marijuana Moment. Another 2,800 people are now serving time in federal prison for pot convictions that aren’t limited to simple possession.
—Sanford N ow lin
O riginally published by our sister paper San A ntonio C urrent. It is republished w ith permission.
people in there.”
Thompson launched the ichael Thompson Clemency roject to advocate for prison reform and people who have been wrongfully sentenced.
“He has a fire in him that can’t be uenched,” co-director Haley li abeth Anderson tells Metro Times. “He’s going to fight for as long as he can. He has a lot of empathy.”
The directors said they hope the film motivates people to advocate for change.
“The movement is not going to be successful without regular people fighting the battle,” Anderson says. “Our job is to get visibility and get people engaged and involved.”
