Hip-Hop Superstars Ask President Biden to Pardon Non-Violent Drug Offenders

One hundred and fifty celebrities have banned together to petition President Joe Biden and Congress to reform marijuana laws for non-violent offenders. The group of stars mailed a letter to the White House on September 14.

Drake, Killer Mike, Ty Dolla $ign, Meek Mill, Quavo, Dave East, Kodak Black, T.I., and 2 Chainz are among those that signed off on a 25-page-letter, expressing why prisoners that have been convicted of non-violent drug offenses should be pardoned.

“Whatever one thinks of other drugs and other defendants, incarcerating marijuana offenders in federal prisons is a misuse of our nation’s resources and grossly hypocritical, given that a clear majority of Americans oppose marijuana prohibition and about half admit to using the drug during their lifetime,” the letter reads.

“It also stands against the arc of history and the principle of federalism: nearly three-quarters of the states have now abandoned the federal government’s blanket criminal ban in favor of safe, regulated legal access to marijuana for adults and/or those with qualifying medical conditions.”

According to Prison Policy, 1 in 5 people is imprisoned for a drug offense. 450,000 individuals are incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses.

The group expressed in the letter how offenders struggle after being released from prison.

“The harms of incarceration are obvious, but the pains of federal marijuana convictions transcend prison walls, making it more difficult for someone to get a job, access affordable housing and receive an education,” the letter reads. “A conviction can forever limit  an individual’s constitutional rights and can put the American dream further out of reach for an entire family.”