Following the Thanksgiving holiday,
shopping deals and Cyber Monday steals, a bit of altruism kicks in. That’s right — it’s time to acknowledge Giving Tuesday. Today is a day to focus on giving back to worthy causes.Giving back to the community isn’t a strange concept in the cannabis industry. In fact, there are a lot of companies and organizations that are dedicated to
, and charity year-round.For Giving Tuesday this year, we’re spotlighting one of our favorite cannabis-related activism organizations, Last Prisoner Project (LPP). LPP focuses specifically on cannabis justice reform. According to LPP’s website, “The Last Prisoner Project was founded in 2019 out of the belief that no one should remain incarcerated for cannabis offenses.”
What is the Last Prisoner Project?
The LPP was established in 2019 by co-founders Andrew DeAngelo, Steve DeAngelo and Dean Raise. Since then, LPP has become notorious for participating in incredible campaigns to free individuals who are incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes.
According to LPP’s Senior Communications Associate Stephen Post, “The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform,” Post wrote in an email.
He continued, “We aim to end America’s policy of cannabis criminalization, as well as to repair the harms of this discriminatory and counterproductive crusade. We seek to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws through legal intervention, direct constituent support, advocacy campaigns, and policy change.”
For this year’s Giving Tuesday, we encourage you to take action and support LPP. Whether you’re in a position to donate to this organization or not, there are plenty of ways to show your support.
A Solid Team Effort
Last Prisoner Project’s Leadership Team
The leadership and
at Last Prisoner Project is a huge reason for the organization’s success. “We brought together a group of justice-impacted individuals, policy and education experts, and leaders in the worlds of criminal justice and drug policy reform to work to end the fundamental injustice that is America’s policy of cannabis prohibition,” the LPP website states.The entire team is working toward a unified goal to free tens of thousands of people who are incarcerated for cannabis-related charges. LPP is led by Managing Director Mary Bailey. Bailey has been working for social justice since before her time at LPP. She has been involved in cannabis advocacy and education for some time, as the Executive Producer and Founder of Maui Cannabis Conference.
LPP’s Director of Impact Mikelina Belaineh graduated from Harvard Law in 2016. Belaineh has been focused on creating solutions to mass incarceration, while also working with those impacted by gangs and womxyn who are currently or were formerly incarcerated.
Gracie Johnson, state policy director of LPP, has a resume that includes advocating for over a decade helping to reduce the incarceration and criminalization rate of marginalized individuals. Mariah Daly, cannabis justice initiative director at LPP, earned her Juris Doctorate at Ohio State University. Since then she’s become a published author of articles and books, and her background in law and advocacy is an important part of Last Prisoner Project.
The Board & Legal Committee
Advisors on LPP’s board include some well known names in California’s medical cannabis market, like the DeAngelo brothers. Other advisors include celebrities like Jim Belushi, Stephen and Damian Marley and Melissa Etheridge, among others. The LPP also has a full legal committee, which according to the website consists of seven professionals.
Ambassadors
The large list of ambassadors to the LPP is ever-growing. All the biggest celebrity advocates in the cannabis industry are official ambassadors of LPP. Ambassadors include everyone from Tommy Chong and B Real to Doug Benson, Ed Rosenthal, Montel Williams, Ricky Williams and many others.
Ways to Support Last Prisoner Project on Giving Tuesday
Donate to LPP
It takes cash for any organization to make a difference. One of the best ways to show your support is by donating funds to LPP. You can do this simply by visiting
or text FREEDOM to 24365 to learn more.Write Letters, Make Calls & Sign Petitions
Reaching out directly to those who have been impacted by the War on Drugs can really make a difference to individuals. LPP’s website makes it easy for you to
online to someone who is incarcerated for a cannabis charge.You can also take action by
, urging President Joseph Biden to grant clemency to individuals who are imprisoned or still affected by federal cannabis convictions.To make a difference on a state level,
to urge New Jersey Governor to release cannabis convicted prisoners.Free Kevin Allen & Rudi Gammo
LPP is known for its various campaigns to help get incarcerated people released from prison sentences. Right now, you can use your voice in
to help release Kevin Allen. Selling just $20 worth of cannabis landed Allen with a life sentence. He received no possibility of parole. Become part of the solution to get Allen freed from prison by putting pressure on the District Attorney to #FreeKevinAllen.
You can also sign petitions to help individuals such as
and .Take it to Social Media
Social media is an efficient way to share information and promote change. If you have a social media account, we encourage you to join us in sharing
to help garner more awareness and support of their altruistic cause.Wrapping Up
Whether you can donate money, your signature or your time, there are plenty of ways to support Last Prisoner Project in honor of Giving Tuesday.
If you’re looking to keep informed with new campaigns and updates from LPP, you can now find their programs and articles live in the High There app. Head over to the
or to download the High There app to stay in-the-know.