Veterans of the War on Drugs

JUST A FEW INCONVENIENT FACTS ABOUT MERCY AND COMPASSION There are many misconceptions about the mercy and compassion shown in recent administrations. During the first five years of the Obama Administration, the Federal Prison population increased by over 19,000 people. During these five years President Obama granted only 1 commutation. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-statistics When Clemency Project 2014 was announced, Eric Holder said there would be 10,000 or more clemency's granted. When the Clemency Project was concluded, Obama had granted 1,715 commutations and 212 pardons. Obama denied 18,749 petitions for commutations. He closed without action 4,252 petitions for commutation and left 11,355 pending. On the first day of the Biden administration the population of the BOP was between 151,000 and 152,000. In September of 2024 the BOP inmate population was 158,483. This is s significant increase. President Biden has closed 8,885 petitions for clemency and denied 5,402 pe...

When Charles “Fred” Cundiff got a commutation from Obama and was released his first call was to VOWD Secretary Beth Curtis. He said: MIss Beth, I never should have gotten out.” He was about 70 then. Beth went to Florida to visit him in the half-way house. According to Beth, it was such that she “would not keep my dog in it.” He was there for a year and then we got the Stanford Project to get him into a residence hotel in Ocala, Florida. When inside of prison he constantly said he just wanted to get out and see his kids and grandchildren before he passed; however, once out they abandoned him and he died alone. We saw to it that his ashes were spread onto the Ocean in his beloved Florida. THANKS TO CAN-DO FOUNDATION.COM & LIFE FOR POT,COM FOR THE FOLLOWING: Charles Frederick Cundiff, #643011-112 Offense: 2 Counts of Conspiracy to Import and Distribute Marijuana Sentence: Life Without Parole – Natural Death Incarcerated Since: 1991 Date of Birth: 7/3/46 Family: 2 Daughters, 1 Son, 9...

  We are proud to announce that, due to a generous donor, we are entering Phase-2 of our business plan. Here we are preparing to receive those inmates who were recently released. We have purchased two wheelchairs, a stairlift so they can go down to the rec area, and a 32 foot above ground swimming pool. We can offer them a place to recuperate and to take classes such as getting a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) and much more.     

  CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR A SON & DAUGHTER OF A CANNABIS PRISONER 2023

On April 20 (4:20) we met with Senator Chuck Schumer, Cory Blumenauer, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep Barbara Lee (on Zoom video), Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Jackey Rosen, Reps David Joyce, Senator John Hickenlopper, Rep Brian Mast, Rep Nancy Mace and many others. There is hope for the HOPE Amendment to expunge cannabis convictions. Now that 68% of Americans support legalization one would think Washington would wake up. Progress is "Glacial" to say the least. I was impressed with Diane Goldstein, retired LA police sergeant from LEAP which advocates for legalization. Oh and Jeremiah Morteller from Ameticans for Prosperity. Those two made the most sense. There are more Bills proposed but what we need is TO REMOVE CANNABIS FROM THE LIST OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES -- NOT RESCHEDULE IT! "DESCHEDULE IT" THE DISPENSARIES are paying BIG BUCKS TO (MEMBERS OF CONGRESS) TO RESCHEDULE CANNABIS. NO! The Clean Slate Act, MORE ACT, CAOA. HEY, COLORADO RACKED IN 3.8 BIL...

 COME JOIN US AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON APRIL 20. HOLD SIGNS & PHOTOS OF CANNABIS LIFERS WE WANT OUT OF PRISON.  STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY (SSDP) ARE PUTTING IT ON & FREEDOMGROW, LIFEFORPOT.COM, AND OTHER GREAT ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE THERE. SEARCH THE WEB FOR MORE INFO.

LUKE SCARMAZZO WAS GRANTED COMPASSIONATE RELEASE TODAY BY HIS JUDGE & HE IS ON HIS WAY HOME THANKS TO THE UNTIRING WORK OF GORGEAN ARSONS. SHE HAS HELPED MANY PRISONERS FIND FREEDOM & SHE NEVER TAKES CREDIT FOR HER WORK; NOT LIKE A FEW OTHER ADVOACY GROUPS I WILL NOT MENTION BY NAME AT THIS TIME, ORGS THAT RECEIVE DONATIONS TO HELP PRISONERS AND DO LITTLE OR NOTHING BUT WHENEVER SOMEONE GETS OUT THEY CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR FREEDOM - ALL THE WHILE PAYING THEMSELVES SIX-FIGURE SALARIES WITH MONEY EARMARKED FOR PRISONERS. IT MAKES ME SICK. BUT I AM SO HAPPY FOR LUKE AND HIS FAMILY.

 We are starting the new year with renewed hope and cautious optimism. Congress whines about the debt ceiling but fails to save tens of millions of dollars each year simply by releasing all pot-prisoners. We know the unions & others are behind this and they have a lot more resources than we do. Is there any hope, really? Maybe not. Last year we traveled across America meeting people and handing out flyers & t-shirts informing the public that there are still over 200 men & women locked up in federal prisons for cannabis violations. All of those we spoke to were incredulous and furious that this is happening today whether we were in front of a Wal-Mart or inside a dispensary. Now our plan for this year is to continue informing the public and helping those locked up have the ability to write and call anyone they want to. And, if released, we will help them with whatever they need. Even if the future looks hopeless, we must keep trying.

 BRITNEY GRINER IS HOME WITH HER LOVED ONES WHILE HUNDREDS OF MEN & WOMEN ARE LOCKED UP IN FEDERAL PRISONS, AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILYS, FOR THE SAME CRIME. IF YOU WANT TO HELP, EMAIL THE PRESIDENT. SEARCH ON THE INTERNET FOR: CONTACT US, THE WHITE HOUSE & FOLLOW THE PROMPTS. I THANK YOU p free

 HEY! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? PRESIDENT BIDEN GETS GRINER HOME FROM RUSSIA BUT DOES NOTHING FOR AMERICANS LOCKED UP HERE FOR CANNABIS? I remember, during his campaign for president, he said no one should be locked up for cannabis. So, LET THEM OUT! What fiscal dynamics are at work here? Unions? Or just out-of-contact with 2022 sensibilities.  

 I stopped by ASCEND DISPENSARY in Coshocton, Ohio today and found very friendly employees who were extremely knowledgeable. The menu is enormous with tons of different flowers, Indica & Sativa, as well as concentrates, vapes, topicals, tinctures, capsules, candies & gummies. So many to choose from. Luckily for me the employees know their stuff & made great recommendations. I'll go back for sure. p free. 

 WHEN AT THE 2022 MJBIZCON IN LAS VEGAS THE FOUR OF US WHO RECENTLY GOT OUT GOT TO MEET THE BEARD BROS (beardbrospharms.com) WHO, 8 YEARS AGO STOOD WITH POSTERS EACH WITH A PICTURE OF ONE OF US WHILE THEY WERE ADVOCATING FOR OUR RELEASE. IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL FEELING TO MEET & HUG & TAHNK THESE MEN WHO WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP US, TOTAL STRANGERS AND TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW-FOUND FREEDOM.

 WE SPENT  FOUR DAYS AT MJBIZCON, They have EVERYTHING FOR ANONE WHO WANTS TO GROW, HARVEST, EXTRACT AND PACKAGE POT & ALL POT PRODUCTS NO MATTER ON WHAT SCALE. AMAZING MACHINES SOME THE SIZE OF HOUSES JUST LIKE FOR ANY OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT. NO MATTER IF YOU GROW A FEW PLANTS OF YOU GROW 100 ACRES THERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED DEVELOPED BY ENGINEERS. WE HANDED OUT OUR FLYERS TO ANYOE WHO WOULD LISTEN AND WE GOT A WONDERFUL POSITIVE RESEPTION. MOST FOLKS WERE SURPRISED THAT THERE ARE STILL HUNDREDS OF MEN & WOMEN IN PRISON FOR CANNABIS, SOME SERVING LIFE SENTENCES. "IT MAKES NO SENSE" THEY ALL SAID "AS WE CAN BUY CANNABIS LEGALLY." YUP, I AGREE. SO, WHAT TO DO? WELL, GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND SEE THAT YOU CAN MESSAGE THE WHITE HOUSE AND WRITE LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF THE CLEMENCY PETITIONS THAT ARE PENDING IN THE OFFICE OF THE PARDON ATTORNEY. 

 Randy Lanier, 1986 Indy-car Rookie of the Year, became a huge pot smuggler, got caught, and was sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON. He eventually got out & this book tells the whole amazing story. According to ROLLING STONE, on the back jacket "Decades ago, Lanier could not walk through a racetrack in America without being thronged by admirers. In the 1980s, he had appeared on the professional racing circuit out of nowhere -- a young phenom who seemed to materialize ex nihilo in a British-made March race car. Lanier had no pedigree, no formal training -- but he was fast.... Many of his competitors were backed by long-dominate and deep-pocketed factory teams -- Porsche, Jaguar, Ford. Lanier's March bore a logo from a local theme restaurant. It was as though an unknown chess player had routed the grandmasters." And,  according to ROAD AND TRACK "Lanier's world became a cocktail of race cars, drug trafficking, trips to Victory Lane, wealth beyond measure, trophies and...

 ON OUR PASS THROUGH THE SOUTHERN US WE MET MANY DISPENSARY OWNERS BUT THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT IS THE RED BISON IN SAPULPA, OK. IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE NEAR TULSA, THIS IS A GREAT DISPENSARY RUN BY WONDERFUL PEOPLE, CRAIG & TAMMI BARNETT..

 WE DROVE FROM ARIZONA THROUGH NEW MEXICO, TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS AND INDIANA TO FULFILL OUR MISSION WHICH IS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC 1. THAT HUNDREDS OF MEN & WOMEN ARE SUFFERING IN FEDERAL PRISONS, SOME SERVING LIFE SENTENCES WITH NO CHANCE OF PAROLE, ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE CONVICTED OF CANNABIS-ONLY CHARGES; AND 2. THAT, NOT A SINGLE PERSON WAS RELEASED UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN'S "PARDON." WE STOPPED AT WALMARTS, STAPLES, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, BEST BUYS, GAS STATIONS,  AND HANDED OUT FLYERS AND T-SHIRTS AND SPOKE TO ALL WHO WOULD LISTEN INFORMING THEM OF THE ABOVE. WITHOUT EXCEPTION ALL WERE SURPRISED & ALL AGREED THAT THOSE LOCKED UP SHOULD NOT BE ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT CANNABIS IS READILY AVAILABLE IN A MAJORITY OF THE STATES. WE STOPPED AT MANY DISPENSARIES WHO ARE MAKING MILLIONS MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME PRODUCT. THEY ARE RIDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING IN PRISON FOR MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTING CANNAB...

 ONCE AGAIN IT IS TIME TO ASK FOR DONATIONS SO WE CAN SUPPLY TOYS FOR THE CHILDREN OF THOSE INCARCERATED -  FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

 AS YOU CAN SEE MANY SHOWED UP TO URGE PRESIDENT BIDEN TO HONOR HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO RELEASE ALL CANNABIS PRISONERS. PAUL FREE, (IN RED "RELEASE ALL CANNABIS PRISONERS" -TSHIRT) & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VOWD.ORG WAS THERE AND JUST GOT BACK TO OHIO. WE MADE MANY GOOD CONTACTS & SPREAD THE WORD. NOW PAUL IS HEADING OFF TO INDIANA, NEBRASKA, COLORADO AND TEXAS TO PLACE OUR POSTER BOARDS IN AS MANY PLACES AS WE CAN. PLEASE NOTE: NOT ONE PRISONER WAS RELEASED DUE TO BIDEN'S "PARDON." 

Students for Sensible Drug Policy https://ssdp.org/      This lady sent me cards birthday, Xmas many many over the years when I was locked up. They really made me feel like someone  cared. Her name is Shell. Myself and many others will never forget her. We are replacing the disastrous war on drugs with policies rooted in evidence, compassion, and human rights. Our 5,000 active members, made up of young people and students, mobilize from 300 schools around the globe to make change from the campus to the United Nations. We do this work because the war on drugs is a war on us. 

Flying High with GRINGO BILLY a smuggler and his wife by Billy and Kay Dekle   Billy AND BETH (NOT HIS WIFE)   Paul Free    Billy, Beth & his wife Kay