Who was the last person to be imprisoned for marijuana in the United States?

To date, 19 states have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. Where is the legality of recreation, marijuana production and distribution is booming, Billions of dollars Provides industry, tax revenue and work.

Meanwhile, 36 State and 4 territories Pots may be legal for some uses, but not all, as they have legalized medical pots and their numbers overlap to some extent with recreational aggregates. Two states And under federal law, cannabis is still completely illegal. In other words, you need to know from state to state whether you will be imprisoned for possessing marijuana. When you cross state boundaries, it’s a misleading patchwork of law and a legitimate minefield, and numbers continue to change.

As a nation, how will we tackle this issue at the federal level and create a fair competition for all?

Jason Flores-Williams is a Colorado-based lawyer. Jonathan wallA 25-year-old man awaiting trial on marijuana-related charges at Supermax Prison in Baltimore. Wall faces up to 15 years to distribute cannabis, which is perfectly legal in other states. Williams is trying to raise awareness of these disparities in the United States and is calling on the federal government to intervene and end the marijuana ban.

Jonathan Wall is awaiting trial in 2022 on marijuana-related charges.

“People in this country no longer want weeds to be illegal-it’s done,” he said. “And at this point, I think it’s like some kind of government typo that the government hasn’t got yet. This little paperwork they have to do to end the federal ban on pots. The modification is at the expense of people’s lives. “

The Biden administration has stated that it will work to decriminalize marijuana and has promised to eliminate past marijuana convictions. The administration is pondering whether this can be done by executive order.

Before being elected Vice President, then-California Senator Kamala Harris Introducing the bill Decriminalize marijuana in 2019.And most recently in June, Judge Clarence Thomas of the US Supreme Court Described in the case“A ban on the use or cultivation of marijuana on interstate highways may no longer be necessary or appropriate to support the federal government’s fragmented approach.”

So what do you need to do to make that happen?

Last week, Senate leader Chuck Schumer submitted a bill to decriminalize marijuana. This removes marijuana from the Code of Federal Regulations list. The bill is said to be a long way without the support of Senate Republicans, but it is a promising start towards moving the country towards ending the cannabis ban.

Jason Flores-Williams is a civil rights lawyer on behalf of Jonathan Wall.

Jason Flores Williams

“I think we’re at the key point of having more money to make with cannabis than confining people for cannabis,” Williams said. “So the economic debate will simply win. This will create some work, this will let you elect, this will put more money into the tax funding. This will be beneficial. It will have a big impact. That’s what people want. “

As a state that legalized marijuana Create millions In new jobs, other states are still spending money and resources to keep marijuana away from the streets. Who are the entities opposed to legalizing marijuana, and why are they doing so? What can they get from trapping young people for plants that are completely legal and affordable in another state next door?

Williams blames what he calls a “prison industrial park.” They may not be actively lobbying for cannabis legalization, but their benefits still benefit from those in prison.

“This is a country where they never want to admit that they are wrong, but this terrible thing has been wrong all the time,” he said. “Weeds have been legalized in the state, creating jobs and people are doing well. Society hasn’t collapsed. In fact, here in Colorado and Denver, this green rush has occurred.”