SERVING POT life for
by Tatiana Melendez
F
or decades, medical cannabis has been providing
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relief to patients throughout the world, even as the
federal government and most other states have been slow
With $22 billion in legitimate sales
to recognize the health benefits of marijuana. Now, states
expected by 2021, marijuana has
are finally moving towards legalization, and public
become a consumer product like any
opinion has shifted in favor of legalization, at least for
other. But new laws have done
medicinal purposes, and states have even made
nothing for people with past
recreational cannabis legal. All this news is good news;
convictions, including some with
however, decades of bad drug policy in the United States
sentences heavier than for rape or
have led to countless lives being ruined and billions of
murder. Hopes and dreams are hard to
dollars wasted in a futile effort to stop people from using
acquire in prison; nonetheless,
cannabis products
enduring a sea of sadness every day is an emotional toll. From the
The number of people incarcerated because of cannabis
monotonous regiment forced on
demonstrates the importance of taking prompt actions to
humans to the time of day they're
decriminalize marijuana. A report published by the U.S.
allowed to eat and bathe, the
Bureau of Justice Statistics states 94,678 people are in
environment is meant to inflict sorrow
federal prison with a drug violation considered the most
and prolonged pain in the hearts and
severe offense they committed, which led to their
souls of the human beings locked
incarceration. Of this group, 12% are in federal prison
inside, especially over something that
because they violated marijuana laws. A total of 11,533
is progressively being legalized.
people were incarcerated because of their involvement
Instead, I was imprisoned due to the abusive conspiracy net common in the U.S. justice system, where ancillary figures like me get swept up and indicted based on association alone." If your thoughts take you to substantial assistance* then you are correct! In other words,
with cannabis products. Most of the people who were
Serving life for pot can transform a
imprisoned for cannabis in federal prison were convicted
human. Good or bad. Take Amy
these humans are not
of drug trafficking offenses as well. Another way to put it
Ralston Povah, for example. Her story
in perspective is all the time lost behind bars over
speaks volumes. Amy received
serving time for drug
marijuana possession. The average length of time people
clemency after serving nine years and
in federal prison serve for marijuana-related offenses is
three months of a twenty-four-year
eighty months.
sentence for drug conspiracy. She states: "more than two decades ago,
Taking a closer look at these people, most of these
no one was receiving any relief from
prisoners are not hardened or violent criminals. 44% of
this now nonsensical, corrupt and
inmates in federal prison due to marijuana convictions
insanely dangerous war on drugs. Like
had no criminal history or a minimal criminal history and
so many girlfriends, wives, and other
had never previously served time in prison, and 85% did
alleged drug dealer family members,
not own a firearm. Hmmm, but the war on marijuana
I wasn't locked up for my own
continues.
decisions.
41 DECEMBER ISSUE thechronicmagazine.com
dealing. Instead, they are serving time for refusing to become a working informant for the feds. Once free, she made it her mission to speak up for those wrongfully done as her.
