WASHINGTON — Federal marijuana prisoners call out President Biden ahead of annual 4/20 holiday for not yet fulfilling his campaign promise to release ‘everyone’ behind bars for weed — as Biden suggests in his public remarks, he has already delivered on this commitment.
Four inmates told the Post that the 81-year-old president’s quest for a second term could only be made easier by letting them go after critics denounced Biden’s massive 2022 pardon for a maximum as a publicity stunt of 6,500 people convicted of simple marijuana possession, none of whom were in prison.
“When a political candidate ignores the social issues of his constituents, he is doomed to lose,” said Edwin Rubis, 55, sentenced to 24 years in prison for participating in a Houston-area marijuana trafficking conspiracy . the 1990s.
“It’s time for our president to act. The rhetoric is no longer effective at this late stage of the game,” said Rubis, who was arrested by the DEA in 1998 when he was 29.
“We all know that President Biden wants to serve a second term. The path to achieving such a feat lies with voters. Release all cannabis prisoners and we will vote for you,” Rubis said.
Parker Coleman, 38, who was sentenced in 2014 to 60 years in prison for leading a group that authorities say imported four tons of marijuana from California to North Carolina, said: “He doesn’t not only aims to correct individual injustices; it’s about aligning our nation’s values with its actions.
“Every day that goes by without change is a missed opportunity for the president,” added Coleman, who is serving a 30-year prison sentence for marijuana trafficking and money laundering, as well as a consecutive 30-year prison sentence. for possession of firearms.
“The time to act is now and I, like countless others, await the opportunity to contribute positively to a society that recognizes our value beyond our sorrows. »
Support for relaxing marijuana laws and releasing inmates doesn’t fall neatly along party lines. Currently, the drug is allowed for recreational use in 24 states – including conservative Alaska, Missouri and Montana – and Florida voters will decide whether to become the 25th in November.
Former President Donald Trump released some of the most harshly sentenced federal inmates on his last day in office in January 2021, including seven people sentenced to life, two of whom were removed under the 1994 criminal law authored by Biden.
Pot reform advocates say Biden has yet to fulfill his promise to free the rest.
In 2019, Biden fended off criticism of his record on crime by saying during a Democratic primary debate: “I think we should decriminalize marijuana, period.” And I think everyone – anyone who has a criminal record – should be released from prison, their criminal record expunged, completely expunged.
But Biden’s mass pardon ahead of the midterm elections angered marijuana activists, who staged a protest outside the White House broadcasting Biden’s campaign promise to release “everyone” in prison for pot – which they interpreted to mean dealers as well as users.
Biden has repeatedly indicated that he understands his initial commitment only applies to marijuana users who did not distribute the drug.
Biden said at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network conference on April 12 that he had kept various campaign promises that impacted Black voters, including “keeping my promise that no one should be in a prison federal law for simple possession of marijuana” – thus reducing the scope of his initial commitment.
Asked by a reporter in July 2022 about his promise to “release all marijuana inmates in prison,” Biden clearly responded: “I don’t think anyone should be in prison for marijuana use.”
Pedro “Pete” Moreno, 64, who is one of the few federal inmates sentenced to life for marijuana crimes, said he hopes Biden sticks to the earlier assurance.
“I pray that President Biden has mercy on me and my family,” he said.
Moreno, his wife and four of his brothers were sentenced to prison in 2001 for smuggling weed from Mexico into the United States between 1986 and 1996. His brothers were released in 2017 by President Barack Obama and his woman had been released shortly before her death.
“My daughter was orphaned when my wife and I were sent to prison for cannabis as first offenders, and then her mother died shortly after her release,” said Moreno, who was severely punished in part because he allegedly encouraged a co-defendant to flee to Mexico.
“She is now 35 years old and has three children who I would like to play with and repair the damage caused by my absence.”
Not all federal marijuana inmates are aging relics of the pre-legalization era, which began in 2012 when voters in Colorado and Washington passed ballot measures to regulate recreational pot markets.
Jose Valero Jr, 26, for example, was sentenced in 2022 to seven years in prison for selling marijuana in Georgia while possessing 11 firearms, which is not allowed by drug addicts – an offense for which Biden’s own son, Hunter, 54, is currently facing charges in Delaware, with a trial expected later this year.
Valero said that “every day spent in prison for a crime that is no longer pursued as harshly is a stark reminder of the gap between political rhetoric and reality.”
“It’s time for those in power to turn their promises into action and reunite us with our families,” Valero said.
“When President Biden committed to releasing those of us incarcerated for non-violent marijuana offenses, it was like a breath of fresh air and a step toward justice. Yet here we are, still chained by the chains of a broken promise.
The South is one of the last regions in the country to allow medical and recreational use of pot, denying sellers legal protection from federal charges under the Justice Department’s deference policy.
U.S. Attorney for southern Georgia David Estes praised Valero’s conviction two years ago, saying, “Illegal drugs and illegally possessed firearms are the fuel that fuels violent crime in too many countries.” many of our communities. »
It’s unclear how many federal inmates are imprisoned for marijuana-related crimes, but a recent congressional estimate puts the number at around 2,600.
Amy Ralston Povah of the CAN-DO Foundation, which advocates for clemency for nonviolent offenders, said, “I started holding vigils outside the White House during the Bush administration, shortly after President Clinton granted me clemency in 2000.” has more than 100 successes to date.
“But there are still so many looking for a second chance, like Pete Moreno,” Povah said.
Weldon Angelos, a former federal marijuana inmate and co-founder of the group Mission Green, said, “President Biden’s campaign promise to release those imprisoned for marijuana offenses was a beacon of hope for countless families and advocates across the country. It is deeply discouraging to see this commitment go unfulfilled. »
“Every day that passes without action is another day of missed opportunities, lost moments with loved ones, and continued injustice for those languishing behind bars for actions that many states no longer consider criminal,” he said. Angelos said.
“It’s time for President Biden to keep his promise and release thousands of people who remain federally incarcerated on marijuana charges.”
The White House had no comment for this article.
New York Post
