Cannabis Commitment: Jay-Z's Law Awareness Campaign, Lil Wayne Partners With Last Prisoner Project

Dozens of entertainers have been lured to the burgeoning — and lucrative — cannabis industry. But two artists, in particular, have shown that their interest goes beyond money.

Jay-Z and Lil Wayne care about justice. The pair recently launched new public-good initiatives worth checking out.

Jay-Z’s Bold Campaign

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, recently released a nationwide awareness campaign through his cannabis brand, MONOGRAM, that focuses on cannabis law.

The out-of-home and digital series seeks to draw attention to the hypocrisy of current cannabis regulations by juxtaposing them with far more divisive realities and dangerous transgressions like cannibalism and flame-throwing, both of which are both still legal in certain states in the U.S.

These shockingly factual headlines are set against the backdrop of eight portraits of individuals who have been charged for cannabis-related offenses to remind consumers that these antiquated laws have harsh and long-term consequences for real people.

The murals, billboards, mobile ads, and wild-postings are currently on display across Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Miami, with plans to expand to additional cities before the end of March.

“Cannabis laws are out of date and disproportionately cruel and punishing when compared to the rest of the legal code. We still don’t have proper regulation for texting and driving in Missouri, but staying home and smoking weed will get you locked up,” said Mr. Carter.

“I created this campaign to amplify the voices of those who have been penalized for the very same thing that venture capitalists are now prospering from with the emerging legal cannabis market. Far too often we forget that these are real people whose everyday lives and futures have been affected by this outdated legislature - people like Bryan Rone, who can no longer pursue a career in sales because of a cannabis-related conviction in 2003.”

Lil Wayne Shares The Love

GKUA Ultra Premium, a cannabis brand co-founded by Lil Wayne, has partnered with the Last Prisoner Project to launch the “Share the Love” monthly social media campaign.

The initiative is aimed at directly funding LPP’s ongoing initiatives to free prisoners of the War on Drugs, starting with 40,000 people in U.S. prison for nonviolent cannabis offenses.

The current campaign, running throughout March, will highlight women making a difference in the cannabis community and industry in honor of Women’s History Month. To support the fundraiser, users must post a photo to their Instagram feed of themselves and a loved one enjoying cannabis, tagging @GKUAOfficial and @LastPrisonerProject, and using the #LastPrisonerProject hashtag. GKUA will donate one dollar from every post shared during the duration of each campaign directly to LPP.