Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Urge President Biden to Keep His Promise on Federal Cannabis Clemency

Category: Blog | September 20, 2022 By Jason Ortiz Comments are Off

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Last Prisoner Project Announce the Keep Your Promise Campaign President Biden: Keep Your Promise to Release Cannabis Prisoners Primary Press Contact: Jason Ortiz, jason@ssdp.org Secondary Press Contact: press@lastprisonerproject.org Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has partnered with the Last Prisoner Project to conduct a series of civil disobedience actions aimed at pressuring President Biden to release the nation’s federal cannabis prisoners.

“There are so many people who are in jail and shouldn’t be in jail…

Nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime.”

– President Biden, September 2019

NEW YORK — Stepping up its drive to urge President Biden to fulfill his promise to release the nation’s federal cannabis prisoners, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)—in partnership with the Last Prisoner Project (LPP)—announced on September 20 that it will launch a “Keep Your Promise” campaign consisting of a series of peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience actions in D.C. and at campaign offices across the country. Anyone interested in joining or hosting a local action, or participating in the October 24th day of mass action can sign up at ssdp.org/tell-president-biden-keep-your-promise/ Virtual training will kick off with an overview of clemency work by the Last Prisoner Project Staff at 4 pm EST on Wednesday, September 21. Activists affiliated with SSDP and LPP will first meet with lawmakers across the country to encourage them to pressure President Biden to use his pardon power to release the nearly 3000 people currently incarcerated in federal facilities due to non-violent cannabis-related convictions. Then, if the President continues to refuse to make good on his campaign pledge, SSDP and their allies will travel to the nation’s capital to demand the President fulfill his oft-touted campaign promise through acts of mass civil disobedience. “Cannabis prisoners should not have to waste away in prison simply because the President doesn’t feel any urgency to do the right thing. Our campaign is a call to action for all people of conscience, elected and civilian to make sure President Biden feels direct consequences for his callous indifference to the suffering of our imprisoned families.”

Jason Ortiz, Executive Director
- Students for Sensible Drug Policy

“During the last election cycle President Biden made a promise to cannabis voters that he has not kept so far. If he wants us to vote this election cycle, he needs to keep that promise and use his pardon power to release the hundreds of cannabis prisoners still serving time in federal prisons”.

Steve DeAngelo, Founder
- Last Prisoner Project

“Despite the fact President Biden has said he doesn’t think anyone should be in jail for marijuana, he has yet to grant categorical clemency, a power he alone possesses, to the nation’s federal cannabis prisoners. Biden can give these people their long-overdue freedom with the stroke of a pen, and he needs to do it now.”

Stephanie Shepard, Last Prisoner Project

To be added to our press list for weekly press updates, please email Jason Ortiz at jason@ssdp.org. More information about Students for Sensible Drug Policy can be found at https://ssdp.org/. Information about Last Prisoner Project can be found at https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/.