As consumers and businesses across the U.S. gear up for the 4/20 holiday on Sunday, ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s is drawing attention to the “tens of thousands of people who will spend their 4/20 in prison for the same cannabis-related activity.”
This year the company—which has regularly used 4/20 to highlight justice-related cannabis matters—has partnered with the advocacy group Last Prisoner Project (LPP) to urge state governors to grant relief to those behind bars for marijuana.
“This 4/20, the need for cannabis justice is at an all-time HIGH,” Ben & Jerry’s said about the new effort.
The groups are also encouraging supporters to take action, recommending they reach out to their state governors to call for clemency, sign petitions to free people incarcerated for cannabis crimes, spread the word using the #420ForFreedom on social media and attend a Washington, D.C. event—the Cannabis Unity Week of Action, held April 29 through May 1—aimed at promoting broader marijuana legalization.
According to the company, as cannabis businesses “will rack up sales” and public figures use their platform to promote cannabis culture on 4/20 and Americans take advantage of freedom to consume with family and friends, it is important that advocates continue to push to correct the injustices of prohibition.
“When we say legalization without justice is half baked, we mean that legalization while people, disproportionately Black and Brown, are still sitting in prison for cannabis or reeling from the detrimental impacts of having a cannabis conviction on their records is simply not justice fully realized,” Palika Makam, Ben & Jerry’s U.S. activism manager, said in a statement.
Sarah Gersten (executive director of LPP) cited the incarcerated Antonio Wyatt in Kansas as well Robert Deals who is currently in Arizona.
Gersten stated in a press release that it was unacceptable for states to continue to imprison people such as Robert Deals and Antonio Wyatt, both of whom are serving prison time on the same charge. “Governors can do something about this injustice, and we are calling them to action.”
According to a press statement about this effort, an American Civil Liberties Union survey found that 84 per cent of Americans were in favor of freeing people who are still incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.
Ben & Jerry’s also dove into the issue of restorative justice in the cannabis industry in a recent episode of the company’s Into the Mix podcast.
In addition to support from Ben & Jerry’s, the 420 for Freedom campaign is also backed by dozens of cannabis-related companies.
Ice cream makers are no strangers to pushing for justice during 4/20. Last year, Ben & Jerry’s teamed with ACLU to similarly encourage fans to pressure state governments for cannabis clemency.
The decarceration of people found guilty for marijuana-related crimes is not enough. Makam at that time said, “To achieve real cannabis justice, it’s also necessary to take the steps needed to remove these convictions from people.” Many people continue to face incarceration and are burdened by cannabis convictions, even when cannabis is legal in some states.
ACLU and Ben & Jerry’s also paired up for 4/20 in 2023, asking people to send a pre-written letter to their governor that implores them to provide the state-level relief to those who’ve been criminalized because of cannabis. These groups also made similar efforts earlier in the year.
For 4/20 in 2019, Ben & Jerry’s published a detailed blog post digging into issues such as racial disparities in the legal industry, disproportionate arrest rates in states like Colorado and Republican former House Speaker John Boehner’s evolving stance on cannabis—from prohibitionist to marijuana firm board member. Ben & Jerry’s also called out legal cannabis’s willingness to make money, while failing to recognize the criminal justice reform that still needs to be accomplished.
In 2022 around 4/20, the company called for supporters to put pressure on the U.S. Senate, which would then have approved a House passed bill, ending federal prohibition.
“The Black and Brown community have borne the high cost of cannabis prohibition and the system of mass incarceration that it has fueled, while white men reap the financial benefits of the legalized cannabis industry,” Chris Miller, global head of activism strategy at Ben & Jerry’s, said at the time. The Senate should pass legislation to correct the injustices caused by the war on drugs. This includes legalizing marijuana and expunging criminal records, while also restoring equality to the legal cannabis market.
In other 4/20 advocacy, former cannabis prisoner who were granted clemency by President Donald Trump in his first term held an event at the White House, Thursday. They expressed their gratitude and called on the Trump Administration to extend the same help to those who remain behind bars.
In terms of federal reform, the White House told CNN last week that “nothing” is planned at this time on proposals for marijuana reform, like those that Trump endorsed in his campaign last year, such as the rescheduling of cannabis and the access to industry banks.
The White House has also said that marijuana rescheduling is not a part of Trump’s drug policy priorities for the first year of his second term—a disappointment for advocates and stakeholders who hoped to see him take speedier action.
Former officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also recently said that, without proactive advocacy for marijuana rescheduling from Trump personally, the process could stall indefinitely.
Three In Four Marijuana Consumers Say They Appreciate 4/20 Promotions From Non-Cannabis Brands That Show Industry Is ‘Mainstream’