MJBizCon is one of the biggest annual conferences in the international cannabis industry; it is massive in scale, and everyone is there. I am relatively new to the MJBizCon party because I co-owned one of the nation’s first state-legal dispensaries and spent 14 years in a federal prison as a result. Last year, just months after my release, I went to the conference and came with lots of business ideas in their infancy. And while last year it felt like I was crashing the party, this year it felt more like I was part of the party. This year, I returned with a book, new music, a growing cannabis business, and a booth with 40 Tons and 15 other justice-impacted cannabis businesses at MJ Biz’s “Equity Row.” 

Sure, it was frustrating watching a multi-billion dollar industry pop up, seemingly overnight, while I served a long sentence. Some people see it all and ask me if this makes me angry because they got to go big while I was in prison. My answer is a resounding NO. Corvain Cooper, co-founder of 40 Tons and former federal prisoner, and I had the opportunity to reflect on this together from Equity Row. We feel like we are in a really unique position to see the end result of our labor and sacrifice. We love that it mattered, we love that it grew, and we are happy to see anyone succeed who has put in the work. 

More importantly, we want everyone else who had to do federal prison time for being a part of the cannabis movement before legalization to experience this too, but first, they need a pardon or commutation from President Biden while there is still time. 

Biden has issued a historic amount of commutations (1, 2). Biden even pardoned his son Hunter, who was facing up to 25 years. But, like Trump and Obama behind him, except a few, Biden has not released federal prisoners serving egregious sentences for cannabis, people like: 

Ismael Lira: Life Sentence

Parker Coleman: 60 years

Edwin Rubis: 40 years

Sanford Johnson: 12 years

Mohamed Taher: 25 years

Jonathon Wall: 10 years

Frank Rogers: 20 years

With the stroke of a pen, Biden can correct the injustices of the past several decades, reunite families, and bring home all of the people who are suffering in federal prison behind a cannabis offense. 

Most of the links above include mailing addresses for prisoners. I urge you to write letters or send them books. While you can’t buy a book and mail it directly to someone who is incarcerated, you can have them sent from publishers and distributors (like Amazon). There are multiple reasons why people in prison need to books to read. One is to be able to maintain a connection to the outside world and still be able to see what is shaping the culture of the outside world. Another is the opportunity for a healthy mental escape, especially for prisoners in solitary confinement or lockdown.

If you can’t afford a book, it costs you nothing to contact President Biden now and urge commutations and pardons for non-violent cannabis prisoners. He has this power until January 20, so please urge him to fulfill his campaign promises and send our loved ones home.