{"id":3616,"date":"2022-01-12T17:03:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=190729"},"modified":"2022-01-12T17:03:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:03:34","slug":"last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3616","title":{"rendered":"Last Prisoner Project urges NJ governor to free cannabis prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Last Prisoner Project urges NJ governor to free cannabis prisoners | Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<h3>Advocates are pushing Governor Phil Murphy to grant clemency to the state\u2019s non-violent marijuana offenders<\/h3>\n<p>On Monday January 10, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastprisonerproject.org\/who-we-are\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Last Prisoner Project<\/a> led a coalition in publishing an <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/14lxEVnGv6duH8yvpV72LebqyFw9_qggb\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">open letter<\/a> to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. The letter urges Gov. Murphy to grant categorical clemency to all marijuana offenders who are currently incarcerated in New Jersey state prisons. Despite the state legalizing cannabis for medicinal use in 2010, and adult-use a decade later, the letter maintains that \u201chundreds remain incarcerated or on supervised release.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since 2019, Last Prisoner Project has worked with families in states across the country to secure phone calls, medical care, commissary funds, and legal fees for cannabis offenders. As New Jersey rolls out its adult use market in 2022, LPP is demanding justice for those who are still paying the cost for racist marijuana laws that were unfairly enforced for decades.<\/p>\n<p>The letter reads:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe state of New Jersey is projected to bring in up to $173.5 million a year in tax revenue from the sale of legal cannabis\u2026 (Meanwhile), hundreds still languish in state prison or continue to suffer the collateral consequences of a cannabis-related offense in the state.\u201d \u2013 Last Prisoner Project letter to NJ Governor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The coalition behind Last Prisoner Project\u2019s letter includes the New Jersey Chapter of the NAACP, rapper and Newark native Redman, the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association (NJCTA), the New Jersey Policy Perspective, and the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, among many others.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" alt=\"police-marijuana-arrest\" class=\"wp-image-136022 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>(AdobeStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Speaking up for affected families<\/h2>\n<p>One NJ resident being advocated for is Humberto Ramirez. Days after NJ residents voted to legalize recreational cannabis for adults in 2020, Ramirez was sentenced to seven years in state prison for transporting six pounds of weed. <\/p>\n<p>The charge removed a loving husband and devoted father from his family and placed him behind bars at great cost to state taxpayers. Ramierez\u2019s family continues to suffer daily while the state and other residents gleefully profit from the plant.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to calling out the hypocrisy of the legal market, advocates also stressed the need for relief as COVID-19 ravages prisons statewide. Governor Murphy declared a state of emergency Tuesday with the omicron variant spreading nationwide. Because of protocols that have lasted throughout the pandemic, residents like Ramirez have been blocked from seeing loved ones and are unable to access adequate medical care.<\/p>\n<p>While Last Prisoner Project acknowledges that New Jersey has taken positive steps with \u201cprovisions that allow for automatic expungement and limited re-sentencing,\u201d the nonprofit contends that \u201ccurrent efforts should be accelerated so that the cases of those who remain imprisoned for a cannabis-related crime in New Jersey are addressed before others begin to profit.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The incalculable human cost<\/h2>\n<p>The letter tells Gov. Murphy that the current pandemic \u201cunderscores the urgent need to intelligently and safely reduce prison populations.\u201d In addition to the pandemic, the letter cites the long-term harm that prolonged incarceration has on individuals, families, and communities.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastprisonerproject.org\/nj-cannabisclemency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">post on LPP\u2019s site<\/a> quotes Governor Murphy&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.gov\/governor\/news\/news\/562021\/20210222a.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">himself saying<\/a>,&nbsp;\u201cOur current marijuana prohibition laws have failed every test of social justice\u2014maintaining the status quo that allows tens of thousands, disproportionately people of color, to be arrested in New Jersey each year for low-level drug offenses is unjust and indefensible.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The letter\u2019s authors state, \u201cmass incarceration has devastated families and communities, caused untold human suffering and economic loss, and placed enormous burdens on limited state resources.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cOur criminal legal system\u2019s obsession with lengthy terms of imprisonment denigrates the fundamental notion of human redemption. When we consider the lost opportunities and economic impact of this national project, the net result is incalculable.\u201d \u2013 <em>Last Prisoner Project letter to NJ governor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt class=\"wp-image-155893 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-take-action-and-join-the-coalition\">Take action and join the coalition<\/h2>\n<p>Last Prisoner Project\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastprisonerproject.org\/release\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">website<\/a> includes a state cannabis clemency initiative designed to address challenges that would come with clemency grant distribution. The organization plans to work with governors and relevant state agencies nationwide to design clemency protocols, a screening and applications process, and recruitment, training, and free legal support for petitioners.<\/p>\n<p>With this letter, LPP and their coalition invites citizens everywhere to \u201ccall out the hypocrisy of incarcerating people for cannabis convictions while others are allowed to generate millions in profits.\u201d Whether that includes contacting local officials, or providing support for constituents serving time, the organization insists, \u201cyour voice can be part of our advocacy for Humberto and other people unjustly imprisoned for cannabis-related crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To add your name to the New Jersey Cannabis Clemency petition, click <a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/petitions\/nj-cannabis-clemency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;To view a full copy of the letter and list of coalition members, click <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/14lxEVnGv6duH8yvpV72LebqyFw9_qggb\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions about the issues raised in this letter, please contact Sarah Gersten, Executive Director and General Counsel for Last Prisoner Project, at sarah@lastprisonerproject.org.<\/p>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2022-01-12 18:22:50 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Prisoner Project urges NJ governor to free cannabis prisoners | Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Advocates are pushing Governor Phil Murphy to grant clemency to the state\u2019s non-violent marijuana offenders On Monday January 10, Last Prisoner Project led a coalition in publishing an open letter to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy&#8230;. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}