Fair Trials calls for global justice for victims of the drug war

Fair Trials, a global, non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the right to a fair trial and against discrimination in the justice system, along with the Last Prisoner Project, are calling on the cannabis industry to act. They want to begin addressing the harm caused by cannabis prohibition on a global scale by campaigning for the release of those imprisoned for cannabis possession and use.

Cannabis legalization could now be a reality in more and more countries around the world. Yet far too many people remain behind bars or continue to suffer directly from the war on the facility.

“The injustice of cannabis prohibition has left millions of people around the world in jail or facing cannabis convictions, with lifelong damaging consequences ranging from education and job opportunities to immigration status and parental rights,” he said Norman L. Reimer, CEO of Fair Trials Global.

“These harmful effects of the ban are affecting not only the individuals accused, but also their families and communities. And those impacts have been borne disproportionately by minorities, communities of color, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Legalizing cannabis alone does not equate to justice. Together we must address the enduring damage of past Prohibition and leave no cannabis prisoner behind,” he said.

The campaign will be modeled after the American Cannabis Justice Initiative – a collaborative effort of industry and volunteer advocates.

The terrible effects of unreformed justice systems

According to the ACLU, half of all American drug arrests in 2010 involved cannabis. Of the 8.2 million cannabis arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88% were for simple possession. While those numbers have since dropped dramatically (according to NORML), several hundred thousand Americans are being arrested in states that still ban the drug to this day.

The problem is not limited to the US, of course

Even in Europe, which has far more lenient policies towards all drug use, and cannabis in particular, people still go to jail for the “crime” of both possession and home cultivation (even for medicinal purposes). In Germany, for example, cannabis is the number one “illegal” drug and of course also responsible for the large number of arrests. In Spain, the organizer of the club movement, Albert Tió, was sentenced to prison for his role in it. However, here, as in other places in the world, even the threat of imprisonment does not deter users – and according to those studying the topic, it is unlikely to do so in the future. Finland remains the EU country with the most people imprisoned for consumption.

Outside the EU there are places where cannabis ‘crimes’ are punished more severely, including life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Most of these are in the “East” and Asia. In fact, Thailand has just made global headlines with the release of 4,200 prisoners from prison on cannabis charges (linked to the implementation of federal liberalization policies). There have been no reforms in other countries, starting with China. Both Singapore and Malaysia have been in the news in recent years for sentenced people to death for possession. Last year in the United Arab Emirates, a British football coach in possession of CBD oil was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The war on drugs may finally end. But its horrifying legacy still leaves a dark overhang that overshadows the lives of far too many people.

To learn more about the project, contact Norman L. Reimer at norman.reimer@fairtrials.net or Ivan J. Dominguez at ivan.dominguez@fairtrials.net.