The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) has launched the #Countdown4Clemency campaign urging President Joe Biden to make good on his promise of granting clemency to thousands of US citizens still incarcerated for cannabis convictions.
The initiative, launched alongside the 420 Unity Coalition and other cannabis industry advocates, calls on Biden to ‘fulfill his promise that no one should be in jail for cannabis.’
To date, Biden has only granted 1.6% of clemency petitions submitted during his presidency, and with only weeks left in his tenure, the LPP has called on his administration to release around 3000 people who remain incarcerated federally for cannabis related crimes, many of which have been made legal in states since they were imprisoned.
While the president has issued categorical pardons, advocates point out that no individual has been released from prison for cannabis offenses under his administration’s clemency efforts.
It goes on to highlight the glaring racial disparities seen in cannabis-related convictions, with nearly half of LPP’s clemency petitions involving individuals who identify as black.
The #Countdown4Clemency campaign encourages the public to join the movement by sending letters to President Biden, urging him to grant clemency before his term ends. Supporters are also asked to raise awareness on social media using the hashtags #Countdown4Clemency and #CannabisClemency.
For more information, visit www.cannabisclemency.org.
