The new partnership will spotlight the stories of people still behind bars for cannabis, support clemency and reentry efforts, and turn 4/20 into a call to action for the people legalization left behind.
High Times and Last Prisoner Project are launching an ongoing partnership focused on one of the cannabis movement’s clearest unfinished fights: bringing cannabis prisoners home.
Announced on 4/20, the partnership will spotlight the stories of people still incarcerated for cannabis offenses, amplify clemency and resentencing efforts, and support the legal, policy and reentry work needed to help those still paying the price for prohibition. High Times has also designated Last Prisoner Project as an official nonprofit partner.
The timing is deliberate. For millions of people, 4/20 is a day for celebration. But it is also a reminder that while cannabis has become legal, normalized and profitable in much of the country, thousands of people remain behind bars for conduct that now fuels a multibillion-dollar industry.
“Legalization brought freedom and opportunity to many, but not to everyone. There are still tens of thousands of people in prison for nonviolent cannabis offenses, and the burden of that injustice fell disproportionately on African American and Latino communities. On 4/20, while we celebrate cannabis culture, we should also remember the people who paid the price for the freedoms others now enjoy and support the work needed to bring them home.”
Javier Hasse, Editor-in-Chief, High Times
What Last Prisoner Project has accomplished
Last Prisoner Project has become one of the most visible organizations working in that space, combining direct legal support with clemency campaigns, policy advocacy and reentry assistance.
360+
Years of prison time secured for cannabis prisoners
$11M
In legal services delivered to those impacted by cannabis prohibition
10
Record-clearance laws passed with LPP support
$3.8M
In direct financial support distributed to individuals and families
“The cannabis industry is thriving, and the people who sacrificed the most to make that possible are still sitting in prison cells. That is an injustice we cannot celebrate our way past. This 4/20, we’re asking everyone who has benefited from legalization to put something back, donate, take action, and help us bring these people home.”
Stephanie Shepard, Executive Director, Last Prisoner Project
For High Times, the partnership is not about adding a charitable badge to the page. It is about using the platform to keep this issue visible and urgent. Through the collaboration, High Times will feature stories about cannabis prisoners across its channels and help direct readers toward actions that can support real people and real cases.
“I’ve spent over twenty years in this industry, and I believe with everything I have that everyone who benefits from legal cannabis has a moral obligation to the people still suffering under prohibition. These are real people: parents, grandparents, sons, and daughters who have lost decades of their lives. Your donations fund the legal work, the clemency campaigns, the policy work and the reentry support that give them a real shot at coming home and rebuilding their lives.”
Mary Bailey, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Last Prisoner Project
That is the point of this partnership. Not to make 4/20 feel heavier than it already is, but to make sure the culture does not drift too far from the people who carried its risks long before there was legal revenue, polished branding or public celebration.
“There is no more fitting partner for this fight than High Times. For more than fifty years, High Times has been the cultural backbone of the cannabis movement — a platform that has always stood for something bigger than business. Their willingness to use that platform to shine a light on the people still behind bars is exactly the kind of leadership this moment calls for.”
Stephanie Shepard, Executive Director, Last Prisoner Project
On 4/20 and beyond, the message is simple: enjoy the freedom, but do not forget the people still waiting for theirs.
Take action
Help bring cannabis prisoners home.
Every contribution funds the legal work, clemency campaigns, policy advocacy and reentry support that give real people a real shot at coming home.
