VIBES, the rolling paper brand created by rapper and entrepreneur Berner, teamed up with Last Prisoner Project in conjunction with creative company Mother to launch RELEASE PAPERS, rolling papers at the heart of a campaign to engage the public to advocate on behalf of individuals imprisoned for marijuana related convictions. RELEASE PAPERS, will be available beginning July 24th 2023 in store and online.
“So many people are still locked up with lengthy sentences related to cannabis. While at the same time, so many states have made up their mind that cannabis should be legal, and those states are where those people are still serving time, which makes absolutely no sense. Campaigns like this are part of who I am, we have to speak up, stand next to and support causes like Last Prisoner Project. I’ve helped raise awareness for Richard Delisi, Corvain Cooper and soon, Robert Deals. There are so many more people to fight for, and I need your help to fight for their freedom,” said Berner, Founder and CEO of VIBES.
- Tens of thousands of people incarcerated for cannabis in the United States
- Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I substance, which has disproportionately high sentencing.
- 72% of Americans support cannabis pardons
RELEASE PAPERS aims to transform rolling cannabis into an opportunity to educate and engage the public to participate in advocating for prisoners. Each paper includes the name of one of four incarcerated people along with a QR code driving to release-papers.com. There, supporters can sign the Cannabis Clemency Now petition urging the President to release federal cannabis prisoners and participate in the letter-writing program, which sends letters to the featured inmates.
- Edwin Rubis, currently serving a 40 year sentence inTalladega, AL for a victimless offense
- Hector McGurk, serving a life sentence in Victorville, CA without the possibility of parole for nonviolent marijuana offense
- Moe Taher, sentenced to 25 years in prison in Welch, WV for selling cannabis
- Ricardo Ashmeade, serving a 22 year sentence in Pollock, LA for a victimless offense. Despite a reclassification of a California conviction from a felony to a misdemeanor, the federal courts have refused to resentence him.
“Vibes Release Papers are helping illuminate the injustice our constituents continue to face, even as more states legalize cannabis. President Biden has the power to right history and free Edwin, Hector, Moe, and Ricardo with the stroke of a pen, says Stephanie Shepard, LPP Board Member and Director of Advocacy. “We are grateful to have Vibes join our fight as we keep advocating until everyone still incarcerated for cannabis is fully free.”
A portion of the profits go to the Last Prisoner Project, who is calling on President Biden to continue to act on broad-based criminal justice and drug policy reform by granting clemency to the tens of thousands of individuals currently incarcerated due to – or otherwise unduly burdened by – federal cannabis-related convictions.
