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Jugales t1_javukd7 wrote

A posession charge hung over my dad's head for almost 30 years until his death last August. It's the reason the only job he could get was cab driver, where he only made $40-$60/day to support 6 kids. I hope this change can impact many lives for the better.

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SweRakii t1_jawcbqh wrote

Man that's fucked up, sorry to hear that.

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friday99 t1_jaxk8i7 wrote

Bummer about your dad.

Sadly, or I guess it's still a good thing, but this clemency right now, no one will be released from prison add might only impact about 6,500 individuals.

We need real reform and not just lip service and mostly-empty gestures

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/10/15/don-t-expect-mass-prison-releases-from-biden-s-marijuana-clemency

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SeaOfGreenTrades t1_jay4avs wrote

This is federal level.

You don't usually get charged with a federal crime when a local cop arrests you.

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apocolipse t1_jayqdoc wrote

Pretty much only people smoking in national parks or other federal property

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Dry-Start-297 t1_jaz3m8d wrote

I'd be curious to know how many turn into federal offenses.

Just from personal experience, one of my close (not personally close but relation close) family members got popped by local, it turned federal, and that individual is looking at 100+ years. Will likely never get out but if they do, will be too old to even work. TBH, I'm kinda split on my opinion because I know enough to believe this person could willingly have done what they were doing, but probably weren't. More than likely it was due to another close family members choices, it's much more probable that they were given an ultimatum and just followed orders.

I've also had a few friends from my younger years end up in a similar boat albeit not as bad as the above people.

All of them were drug related charges. Non-violent offenses.

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Meraline t1_jayfu4s wrote

This announcement came with an announcement of upcoming rescheduling of weed as well

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AnonymousMonk7 t1_jaz3qzm wrote

I don’t see how it’s an empty gesture. It’s not like the Democrats that voted for this change we’re holding back greater reforms nationwide; they don’t have the views for a federal reversal and the conservative states are all against it. It’s not like an offer to post for dinner but then adding a caveat to stick to the dollar menu. They did what was possible in current conditions. Yes it affects a proportionately small group of people affected, but the blame is on the opposition, and hopefully it leads to greater pressure on state legislatures to change, getting closer to the actual reforms needed.

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disavowed t1_jawne12 wrote

That's fucking insane, I'm sorry for your loss and his

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omarfw t1_jaz3u8g wrote

god that is awful. so much injustice surrounding marijuana has been wrought in the name of profit.

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5am5ep1ol t1_jaz44m3 wrote

It makes me so, so, so fucking mad that these stories are pretty commonplace. All because a few racists back in the day decided to demonize weed. Fucking idiotic and sad and all-around tragic because of how many lives they ruined. These people get one shot at their life. And it has far too often been spent under the thumb of a backwards law out there for terrible reasons.

Countless lives impacted, countless lives virtually destroyed—and countless lives undeniably destroyed. I’m sorry your dad got caught up in that mess.

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xandercade t1_jazw16l wrote

I know for a fact the if marijuana was legal I wouldn't have had half the trouble I had in my life. I wouldn't have had to go thru shady people who pushed more addictive substances on me that led me down a path right to jail.

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