CBD wellness brand House of Wise and a nonprofit dedicated to advancing criminal justice reform for the cannabis community, Last Prisoner Project, announced their new campaign, Justice For All.
In honor of 420 – a holiday celebrated on April 20 that has long stood for community among cannabis and hemp users – and in recognition of the work still required to change policy and remove stigmas for cannabis and hemp users, House of Wise and Last Prisoner Project are working together to promote a petition urging the Biden administration to create a presidential cannabis clemency board.
This board would be tasked with expediting the review and processing of clemency petitions from individuals with federal cannabis-related convictions.
Following U.S. House of Representatives approval on Friday, April 1, 2022 in favor of H.R. 3617: The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021, now more than ever it is imperative to continue pushing for policies that support criminal justice reform, the duo highlighted.
H.R. 3617 does not mention the violations in the Federal penal code that would be considered "nonviolent Federal cannabis offenses" for the purposes of expungement and/or resentencing process. The Act also disqualifies otherwise eligible individuals who received an aggravating role adjustment at sentencing in relation to a Federal cannabis offense from having their records expunged. Additionally, for automatic expungement to occur in an expeditious fashion, exact offense codes would need to be determined rather than needing to make eligibility determinations on a case by case basis.
The Campaign Highlights
Inspired by the countless number of families suffering devastating emotional, physical, mental, and economic repercussions stemming from cannabis criminalization, the Justice For All campaign is driving change by:
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Calling for 100,000 signatures for the Cannabis Clemency Petition
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Raising money for the Last Prisoner Project Family Support Fund, as well as specific Last Prisoner Project constituents, through a limited-edition product release coming to House of Wise April 13
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Raising money for Last Prisoner Project through the auction of a one-of-a-kind NFT inspired by the 420 holiday and the Justice For All campaign, launching April 15
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Sharing ongoing educational content around cannabis policy, how to get involved, and the stories of real people impacted by cannabis convictions through the company's Wise Reads
"It's 2022, and when you have cannabis dispensaries that look like premium retail shops popping up across the country, while thousands of people still remain behind bars for selling or using the same products sold in these shops, it's time for a bigger push for change, and fast," stated Amanda Goetz, Founder & CEO of House of Wise. "We believe it is critical for us to collaborate with Last Prisoner Project and their community of constituents to share their stories and support the work they're doing to ultimately grant freedom and de-stigmatize cannabis convictions for thousands of vibrant people whose lives and well-being matter."
Photo: Courtesy of Romain Dancre on Unsplash
