NONVIOLENT MARIJUANA OFFENDERS NEED CLEMENCY
This is a piece by Steven Nelson from Jan. 2017 about John Knock and Michael Pelletier. Neither of these nonviolent marijuana offenders received clemency during clemency project 2014. They are both serving sentences of life without parole. Michael and John both went to trial and received the trial penalty for nonviolent marijuana offences. Michael has been in a wheel chair since the age of 11. John is a 73 year old man who has been in prison as a first time nonviolent marijuana offender since 1996.
Today Michael tested positive for Covid 19. Today John's request for reconsideration of his Compassionate Release was denied. Life without parole for a nonviolent marijuana offence is a sentence that does not fit the crime and is not fiscally responsible and is not just. The criminal justice system and the cannabis industry will have no integrity as long as nonviolent people are behind bars with life sentences of Life for Pot.
