Legal for Some, a Life Sentence for Others: The Cannabis Hypocrisy Exposed

The hypocrisy of cannabis-related incarceration is glaring. While states and corporations are making billions off legal weed, over 40,000 people—disproportionately Black and Latinx—remain locked up for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. Despite the wave of legalization sweeping across the U.S., many are stuck in legal limbo where state and federal laws conflict, trapping people in prison for something that's now a cash cow for big businesses.

A photo of Michael Thompson from the Michigan Dept of Corrections

One glaring example is Michael Thompson, who spent 25 years behind bars in Michigan for selling weed, even though the state has since legalized it for recreational use. Thompson’s case shines a harsh light on how outdated "habitual offender" laws slam nonviolent, low-level offenders with extreme sentences, long after public opinion and laws have shifted. He’s not alone—thousands still rot in prison while Wall Street investors line their pockets from the very thing that ruined lives.

And the racial disparities are undeniable. A Pew Research study showed that even though white and Black Americans use cannabis at nearly the same rates, Black people are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for possession. This racial bias extends to the prison system, where communities of color bear the brunt of the "War on Drugs" that disproportionately targets them. As the legal cannabis industry booms, this deep-seated injustice remains largely unaddressed.

Groups like the Last Prisoner Project are fighting to free cannabis prisoners, but change is slow. Despite President Biden’s support for cannabis reform, few prisoners have been released. The fact that people remain behind bars while others legally profit off cannabis is a blatant example of how the system continues to fail.

---

© 2024 Pot Culture Magazine. All rights reserved. This content is the exclusive property of Pot Culture Magazine and may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical reviews or analyses.