Killer Mike wants to quadruple the number of pardons for people with non-violent drug convictions

In an interview with Killer Mike, TMZ reports that the rapper expressed his desire to see more action from Biden and his administration, which recently commuted 75 sentences and pardoned three people. An unnamed TMZ reporter caught Killer Mike at an airport for a quick question about his thoughts on the subject as they left.

“I think we can always do better,” Killer Mike said. “I think as many as we let out, we should probably quadruple that. I think this should also be a priority for nonviolent drug offenders in relation to marijuana and the like. They should bid first on licensing.”

The interviewer inquired about the need for justice, and Killer Mike presented what needs to be done. “I think they should be the first priority to get the state license and beyond. I think the federal authorities owe them that. I think that’s really how you regret a drug war that went horribly wrong.

“I think the oligarchy in this country owes the people this industry is built on, that’s going to bring billions to this country,” he continued. “All the people who were outlaws who paved the way.”

On April 26, President Joe Biden announced that he would commute the sentences of 75 people and grant three pardons. “Today I forgive three people who have demonstrated their dedication to rehabilitation and who strive every day to give back and contribute to their communities. I am also commuting the sentences of 75 people who are serving long sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, many of whom have been confined at home during the COVID pandemic – and many of whom would have received a reduced sentence had they been charged with the same offense today, thanks to the bipartisan First Step Act.” Biden also stated that his governments would continue to “…consider petitions for clemency and implement reforms that promote justice and equity, provide second chances, and enhance the well-being and safety of all Americans.”

While it’s a welcome decision, as industry folk have been eagerly awaiting Biden and his administration to make a positive move for those wrongly convicted of cannabis crimes, many believe it’s not enough.

Proponents like Leo Bridgewater, an Army veteran, longtime cannabis advocate and National Director of Heart Community Capital and Minorities for Medical Marijuana, believe Biden’s move barely scratches the surface. “Freeing her is not the end. Allowing them to be the first to market to entrepreneurs in their communities would be fair redress,” he wrote on Instagram. Bridgewater was recently named one of the most influential people in the cannabis industry by the High Times 100.

Killer Mike has long been a vocal advocate for ending the war on drugs. In 2016, he wrote an article in Rolling Stone explaining how the US can right this wrong. “As marijuana reform begins to de-escalate the drug war, creating new opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in the process, it’s imperative that the people who most need a second chance actually get one,” Killer Mike wrote. “The price they have already paid for our failed drug policy is high enough.”

In 2015, Killer Mike sat down to ask Bernie Sanders questions in a six-part video series that covered topics like economic freedom, social justice, free health care and more. In part four, they discussed the war on drugs and prison reform.