Although candidate Joe Biden has pledged to decriminalize cannabis and automatically repeal previous convictions, President Joe Biden has been slow to implement his pledge.
But this morning, Biden took his first step toward that goal. The president granted amnesty to 78 people. They include nine men and women charged with marijuana-related crimes.
Biden softened — in other words, shortened — their sentences. They are all currently serving their sentences at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to their original conviction, they will remain on supervised release after the completion of their sentence.
Additionally, Biden pardoned Dexter Eugene Jackson, who had been convicted of a cannabis-related charge but had already completed his sentence.
Why these individuals and not others?
Although these individuals are all nonviolent offenders and only have less than four years left in their sentences, White House Announcement It doesn’t explain why Biden’s team chose these individuals for clemency.
In granting amnesty to nonviolent drug offenders, Biden is following in the footsteps of his predecessors: President Trump Pardon granted to 12 people With marijuana-related offenses (and twenty additional nonviolent drug offenders) on his last day in office. President Obama Pardoned more than 1,300 nonviolent drug offenders (It is unclear exactly how many people were involved with marijuana) during his presidency.
While Biden’s actions underscore how much work remains to be done to bring justice to former cannabis perpetrators, his decision represents a huge moment for these individuals and their families.
Read on to learn more about the nine individuals who were granted clemency this morning.
Dexter Eugene Jackson
Dexter Jackson, of Athens, Georgia, was convicted in 2002 for allowing marijuana distributors to use his pool hall to “facilitate drug dealings.” He did not deal drugs himself. President Biden pardoned Mr. Jackson today.
The White House reports that since his release from custody, Mr. Jackson, 52, has converted his pool hall into a cellphone repair service and regularly hires high school students as staff. He also “worked on building and renovating homes in a community that lacked good and affordable housing.”
Ramola Kay Brown
Ms Brown was charged by the Southern District Court in Texas with “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and less than 50 kilograms of marijuana in 2016.
She was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Her reduced sentence will expire on April 26, 2023.
Jose Luis Colunga
The Eastern District Court of Tennessee charged Colunga, of Junita, Nebraska, with “conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.” He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
His reduced sentence will expire on October 26, 2023.
Stacy Demers
The Northern District Court in New York charged Stacy Demers with “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute marijuana.”
She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Her reduced sentence will expire on April 26, 2023.
Christopher Gunther
Gunter was charged by a South Carolina District Court with “conspiracy to possess 50 grams or more of a base cocaine with intent to distribute, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana and a quantity of ecstasy.”
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
His reduced sentence will expire on August 24 this year.
Carrie Low
The Southern District of Texas accused Carrie Low of “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants.”
Lu was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Lu’s reduced sentence will expire on April 26, 2023.
Paul A Lubercio
Western District Court in Missouri charged Paul A. Lubercio “by plotting to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and five kilograms or more of cocaine.”
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
His reduced sentence will expire on August 24 this year.
Quang Nguyen
The Southern District Court in Texas charged Quang Nguyen with “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants.”
Nguyen was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Nguyen’s reduced sentence will expire on April 26, 2023.
Fermin Serna
Mr. Serna was charged by the Southern District Court in Texas with “conspiracy to possess in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.”
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
Serna’s reduced sentence will expire on August 24 this year.
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