Tuesday, the Michigan parole board will consider freeing a Flint native who’s serving essentially a life sentence for selling marijuana.
Michael Thompson was convicted in 1994 for selling three pounds of marijuana to an undercover informant.
The case has attracted national attention, in part because recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan.
“It’s just really shocking to compare Michael’s life sentence for a non-violent cannabis offense to what is now going on in Michigan’s recreational cannabis market,” says Sarah Gersten, with the Last Prisoner Project.
Thompson’s commutation bid has the support of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the prosecutor’s office that convicted him.
Thompson has had serious health problems in prison, including testing positive for COVID-19.
