Florida man to be released early after serving 31 years for nonviolent marijuana crimePosted by MMP News AuthorOn November 28, 2020

Richard DeLisi has been incarcerated since 1989 when, at the age of 40, he was convicted on charges of racketeering, trafficking in cannabis and conspiracy after agreeing to help smuggle more than 100 pounds of marijuana from Colombia into Florida. He received a 90-year prison sentence.

His case has received legal support from the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit that advocates for ending prison sentences for cannabis offenses. With 31 years in prison, DeLisi is the country’s longest-serving nonviolent cannabis prisoner, according to the group.

DeLisi, now 71, could be released from South Bay Correctional Facility as early as December 4, though the exact release day still depends on several factors, according to the Florida Department of Corrections press secretary Kayla McLaughlin.

“It feels amazingly wonderful to know that I will be home with my family and loved ones very soon,” DeLisi said in a statement to Last Prisoner Project. “I am grateful to everyone who has been there and helped me along in these long years.”

His impending release comes as the American public has increasingly approved decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use. Despite that growing acceptance, people like DeLisi remain incarcerated — some for decades — for nonviolent drug crimes.

The US has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, and 1 in 5…

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