This Man In His Late 60's Has Spent 25 Years In Prison For 3 lbs. Of Cannabis: Help Set Him Free

Michael Thompson has been in prison in Michigan for 25 years for 3 lbs. of cannabis.

He is now in his late 60's, recently diagnosed with diabetes 2, and at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

Don't let a cannabis sentence become a death sentence for Michael.

Michael received a Humanitarian Youth Award from the NAACP for his work with troubled youth before he was imprisoned. He also received the keys to the city of Flint when he organized Unity Day, where he led hundreds of youth gang members on a march uniting them for peace.

Michael Thompson was an asset to his community and he deserves to regain his freedom.

We urge you to call the Michigan Parole Board today at (517) 373-0270 and demand Michael's release.

His MDOC number is 176309.

You can also go to FREEMICHAELTHOMPSON.COM and follow prompts to email Governor Whitmer to request Michael's plea for clemency be granted immediately.

Sample Script

"I am writing to urge you to please free Michael Thompson immediately. Commute his sentence. He’s done enough time. He’s paid his price. He is a 69 year old with diabetes who has now contracted COVID-19. If he is returned to prison he is gravely at risk of dying in detention. The state of Michigan and the nation are counting on you to do the right thing."

How to Respond

The Parole Board and MDOC have now started responding to our emails. This is a good sign and means we are getting through. Unfortunately, the Parole Board is attempting to use Michael's firearms charges to mitigate the injustice of his sentence and say that he does not deserve clemency. Below is a sample reply to this type of response.

"Simply because Michael was sentenced on additional charges, as most criminal offenders are, doesn’t make his de facto life sentence fair or just. While it is true that the firearms charges greatly enhanced Michael's sentence, these charges are inextricably tied to the underlying marijuana offense.

Although Michael was given an additional 40-60 years on firearms charges, no weapon was used in the commission of the marijuana sale. The weapons were an antique firearm locked in a safe and his wife's firearm in her nightstand, however the marijuana sale was used as the basis for a search of his house and the guns were located.  Having the guns was independently a crime because he had a weapons disability.  Because he had a prior, nonviolent drug felony his second amendment rights were "disabled" and he could not legally own a firearm, despite Michigan being an open carry state.

The exacerbation of Michael's sentence is based on a legal fiction called constructive possession.  He did not possess the guns personally or physically but because they were in the house and he had "dominion or control" of the house the law imputes constructive possession.

But for the marijuana charges, Michael would never have been charged with the firearms offense. Marijuana is now legal in the state of Michigan. No one deserves to die in prison for charges stemming from the sale of a now legal product."