{"id":3897,"date":"2022-01-26T20:05:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T20:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=191630"},"modified":"2022-01-26T20:05:14","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T20:05:14","slug":"marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3897","title":{"rendered":"Marine vet seeks mercy from New Jersey governor over weed charges and delayed cannabis career"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Marine vet seeks mercy from New Jersey governor over weed charges and delayed cannabis career | 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. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.5 (Yoast SEO v17.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <\/p>\n<div id=\"copy_clipboard_success\" class=\"fixed top-0 left-0 right-0\">\n<div class=\"bg-white p-lg container mt-xl flex justify-between elevation-low rounded\"> <span class=\"flex items-center\">     <span class=\"ml-md\">Link copied to your clipboard<\/span> <\/span> <button id=\"copy_clipboard_close_btn\">    <\/button> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>                <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! 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<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Shortly after winning the 2017 New Jersey governor race, Gov. Phil Murphy promised to sign a bill legalizing cannabis within about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.app.com\/story\/news\/politics\/new-jersey\/2017\/12\/08\/marijuana-legal-new-jersey-when-timeline-2018\/931192001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">100 days<\/a> of his inauguration. Gov. Murphy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/new-jersey-governor-signs-cannabis-legalization-into-law-finally\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">finally got around to signing a weed bill<\/a> February 2021, over four years <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/new-jersey-adult-use-marijuana-bill-awaits-governors-signature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">after his pledge<\/a> to voters.<\/p>\n<p>Anticipating the green rush, 16-year US Navy and Marine veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mario-ramos-7208231a3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mario Ramos<\/a> left New York for the Garden State back in 2017. \u201c(Gov.) Murphy was screaming out that it was gonna be legal in like 90 days,\u201d remembers Ramos on a November 2021 call with Leafly. \u201cI was working for <em>High Times Magazine<\/em> at the time. I was doing event coordination, [and] I would take pictures of new grow rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While visiting a facility for a story he was reporting, Mario became part of a local investigation. \u201cI guess they were already being watched,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Mario was there when authorities raided the facility. He was one of eight individuals who were arrested after leaving the building. At one point, he even faced a life sentence, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-trophy-for-law-enforcement\">A trophy for law enforcement<\/h2>\n<p>Mario was the only individual of those arrested that night who faced serious time. \u201cI learned the hard way that that county prosecutes Black and brown men, (up to) 22 times more than any other county in Jersey,\u201d he said of Morris County, where he was arrested. <\/p>\n<p>He says the numbers are no exaggeration: \u201cI was inside. So I saw it for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>\u201cThe first sentence that they gave me, they tried to say life in jail. Then, they lowered it. They lowered it to 25. Then from 25 to 15. The lawyers were fighting. A lot of people, like Last Prisoner Project came to the rescue.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><cite>Mario Ramos<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Mario survived the drug war as a young man in 1980s New York City by submerging himself in hip hop\u2019s various creative elements. Graffiti and breakdancing crews protected him from the vicious drug wars that were taking over many cities at the time. \u201cI\u2019ve been in over 50 galleries,\u201d he says of his art career. \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate enough to paint with the top graffiti artists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, the violence, poverty, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/social-justice\">social injustices of the Drug War<\/a> weighed on him and his fellow survivors, then and now. \u201cI also believe (weed) saved my life,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause there was a lot of other drugs in that were around.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He noticed that many of the men he met in the military from similar backgrounds were using cannabis to medicate long before they enlisted. \u201cI had PTSD before I joined the military, Ramos says. <\/p>\n<p>Before and after serving, he says fellow vets constantly bond over how much they miss mary jane while on duty. \u201cYou hear it a lot,\u201d he recalls of the weed war stories from military buddies. \u201cI\u2019m gonna go back and smoke. When I get back home, I can\u2019t wait to do it\u2026 It helps a lot of people. Like I said, I always felt like it was a medicine to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/strains-products\/veterans-cannabis-project\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>What is the Veterans Cannabis Project?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>The Garden State\u2019s lingering weed problem<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img alt class=\"wp-image-191718 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"724\" height=\"543\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>A letter Mario Ramos wrote from prison, published by his former employer <a href=\"https:\/\/hightimes.com\/activism\/letters-from-pot-prisoner-mario-ramos-proof-that-cannabis-isnt-legal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><span>High Times Magazine<\/span><\/em><\/a>. In total he served one year and 48 days behind bars for his charges. (via High Times Magazine)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mario moved to New Jersey as soon as medical and recreational weed appeared on the legal horizon. He\u2019d already been running a weed company called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puffcards.com\/product-page\/ibudyou-x-puff-cards-pre-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I Bud<\/a> since <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/webudyou?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2011<\/a>. So how did the Bronx native find himself in Morris County jail facing decades over a plant that was almost legal? <\/p>\n<p>Morristown, in Morris County, is notorious for unjust policing. In 2020, the lone Black officer in Hannover <a href=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/new-jersey\/morristown\/racist-harassment-drove-out-nj-towns-only-black-cop-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">left the department<\/a> over racist harassment. Though cannabis legislation passed with flying colors in statewide elections, many local municipalities are <a href=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/new-jersey\/morristown\/racist-harassment-drove-out-nj-towns-only-black-cop-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">banning legal cannabis businesses<\/a> from setting up shop in their towns, with a \u201cnot in my backyard\u201d motto. <\/p>\n<p>As a whole, the state is known for being economically and racially diverse. But <a href=\"https:\/\/nj1015.com\/how-can-nj-be-so-diverse-but-have-the-most-segregated-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most communities and schools<\/a> are heavily segregated. Mario learned these dynamics the hard way, via the wrath of Morris County\u2019s unjust marijuana enforcement.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201c<\/em>Because I was in High Times Magazine, that county felt like they found a trophy. I had a California license on me, (so) they said I was a flight risk\u2026 You just don\u2019t believe it. I\u2019m like, I\u2019m thinking every day, they\u2019re just gonna let me go. Like, oh, they saw, they made a mistake.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>After being booked, the true weight of his charges hit him. \u201cI was the only one in there for cannabis. Everybody [inside] couldn\u2019t believe that I was in there for weed.\u201d A number of organizations and advocates stepped in to get him released, but he still can\u2019t be free of his legal baggage without Gov. Murphy\u2019s word.<\/p>\n<p>Now that he\u2019s out, Mario is fighting for those who are still stuck behind enemy lines. \u201cThere\u2019s 40,000 people still in jail for cannabis. And you know what, this could happen to anyone,\u201d he warns.<\/p>\n<h2>Awaiting action from the Governor<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier this month, Last Prisoner Project <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/last-prisoner-project-urges-nj-governor-to-free-cannabis-prisoners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sent a letter<\/a> to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy demanding clemency for residents like Mario. In the letter, NJ advocates and influencers like rapper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NiZMqVXVZgA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Redman<\/a> said it is time for immediate action on behalf of those who remain entangled in the state\u2019s penal system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always had my weed and I learned how to grow real early,\u201d Mario remembers. \u201cI fell in love with the <em>High Times Magazine<\/em>. They taught you how to do it. And I was lucky enough to, you know, end up working with them and everything. And so, yeah, it was like a big journey there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was all snatched away overnight, and he continues to pay the cost. \u201cThere\u2019s people making millions of dollars right now. on cannabis,\u201d Mario laments. Some state supervisors can\u2019t believe his predicament. \u201cBut the prosecutor doesn\u2019t see it that way,\u201d he says sadly. \u201cIt\u2019s like another notch on their belt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The most fortunate part about Mario\u2019s situation is that his support system has been strong throughout the ordeal. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy family always knew what I was doing,\u201d he says. \u201cThey knew that I worked for <em>High Times<\/em> and everything. So when it happened, they were like, \u2018Whoa, what happened?\u2019 They\u2019re in shock. But I was so happy that they already knew about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Being a veteran helped his cause in court, but two weed possession tickets in California and Florida in 2010 and 2011 hurt Mario\u2019s case. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still on (supervision) right now for like 18 months,\u201d he said in November. \u201cThey call it jail without walls, (but) I\u2019m happy to be on this program and not behind bars, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/legalization\/marijuana-illegal-history\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The history of cannabis prohibition in the United States<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>Mario\u2019s vision for a greener future<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt class=\"wp-image-191632 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Mario is blessed to have the support of his girlfriend Chelsea Buttner and Last Prisoner Project and many other advocates on his journey back to freedom. He has four kids and plans to continue build a legal cannabis empire when he is off state supervision. (Courtesy of Last Prisoner Project)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though Mario\u2019s entry into weed was growing, he wants to start his legal empire with a dispensary. \u201cI\u2019m gonna open up my own dispensary,\u201d he told Leafly. \u201cThey\u2019re giving me the license. They\u2019re saying because of everything that happened to me, I\u2019m one of the first people that they could give the license to. The license comes with a smoking lounge and you are able to deliver.\u201d He plans to be a staple in Jersey City, NJ.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I first got arrested, my first words to God was what\u2019s going on here?\u201d Now, he says: \u201cI was placed there (for a reason).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And he intends to share the wealth: \u201cI\u2019m gonna pick the best growers, pick the best product for them. Cause I\u2019m part of it. And I wanna bring that to the people so they could say, Hey, this is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Biden could accelerate the dreams of Mario and many others by overstepping all Governors and granting clemency nationwide. The Weldon Group and a group of influencers called on the President to pay up on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/politics\/entertainers-athletes-double-down-on-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">campaign promise<\/a> to address the stick-icky issue of federal prohibition. <\/p>\n<p>But the President and fellow Democrat Gov. Murphy are just two of the many left leaders who will have to answer to green voters sooner or later. And while we want to have faith that they will deliver someday, we won\u2019t be holding our breath on that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/strains\/blue-dream\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blue Dream<\/a> for more than a few seconds at a time. <\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/marine-vet-seeks-mercy-from-new-jersey-governor-over-weed-charges-and-delayed-cannabis-career.jpg\" alt=\"Christopher Minaya's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Christopher Minaya<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Christopher Minaya has written for XXL, Hot 97, In Flex We Trust, and more. He reports on East Coast cannabis trends in an effort to humanize the flower.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/christopher-minaya\">View Christopher Minaya&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\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: _ @ 2022-01-26 22:01:15 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marine vet seeks mercy from New Jersey governor over weed charges and delayed cannabis career | 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. Shortly after winning the 2017 New Jersey governor race, Gov. Phil Murphy promised to sign a bill legalizing cannabis within about 100 days of his inauguration. Gov. 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