By Fair trialA globally focused non-governmental non-profit organization that appeals for the right to a fair trial and the right to oppose discrimination within the judicial system Last prisoner projectCall on the cannabis industry For action.. They want to begin tackling the harm caused by the cannabis ban on a global scale by working to free those imprisoned for possession and use of cannabis.
Cannabis legalization may now be a reality in more and more countries around the world. But too many people remain behind the bar or suffer directly from the war at the factory.
“Millions of people around the world have been sentenced to prisons and convicted of cannabis due to cannabis ban fraud, from education and employment opportunities to immigrant status and parental rights. It has lifelong harmful consequences. ” Fair Trial Global CEO Norman L. Lymer.
“These detrimental effects of the ban affect not only the indicted individuals, but also their families and communities, and those effects are a minority, color community, and socio-economic disadvantage. It has been disproportionately brought about by people in different positions. Legalizing only cannabis is not the same as justice. Together, we deal with the ongoing harm of past bans and of cannabis. We must not leave prisoners behind, “he said.
The campaign is modeled on the American Cannabis Justice Initiative, a joint effort of industry and volunteer lawyers.
The terrible impact of the unreformed judicial system
According to the ACLU Half of all American drug arrests It was for cannabis in 2010. Of the 8.2 million cannabis arrested between 2001 and 2010, 88% were due to simple possession. Although these numbers have declined dramatically since then ( NORML)Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been arrested in states where drugs are still outlawed today.
Of course, the problem is not unique to the United States.
Even in Europe, which has a much more generous policy towards all drug use, especially cannabis, people still go to jail for both possession and homegrown “crime” (even for medical use).of Germany for example, Cannabis is the most selected “illegal” drug and, of course, has caused a huge number of arrests. In Spain, club movement organizer Albert Tio was charged with imprisonment for playing the same role. But here, like anywhere else in the world, even prison threats don’t discourage users. According to people studying this issue, Unlikely in the future.. Finland is still an EU member state and most people are imprisoned for use.
Outside the EU, there are places where cannabis “crimes” are more severely punished, such as life imprisonment and the death penalty. Most of these are in the “East” and Asia.In fact, Thailand 4,200 prisoners In a cannabis prison (along with the implementation of federal liberalization policies). In other countries, including China, reforms have not yet taken place. Singapore And Malaysia have both been in the news for the past few years of having sentenced people to death for possession. Last year, in the United Arab Emirates, a British soccer coach in possession of CBD oil was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The war on drugs may finally end. But its terrifying heritage still creates a dark overhang that casts a shadow over the lives of too many people.
Contact Norman L. Reimer for more information on the project. norman.reimer@fairtrials.net Or Ivan J. Dominguez (ivan.dominguez@fairtrials.net).
