Cannabis legalization continues to spread across the country. The federal government is currently debating reform, while the Biden administration has issued several pardons to federal marijuana offenders. However, several thousand people remain incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis crimes. One prisoner, Edwin Rubis, is now getting a rallying cry to bring him home.
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Rubis is currently in his 27th year in federal custody. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the late 1990s for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. A DEA raid found no physical evidence, but Rubis was still convicted as others in his network singled him out during interrogations.
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Activists believe the punishment does not fit the crime, and the Biden administration needs to rectify the injustice. They believe the president has not gone far enough in his promises to enact meaningful change to “America’s failed approach to marijuana.”
Advocates have spent years working to free Rubis and others like him. After a tragic social media post from August in which Rubis discussed spending his 56th birthday in deplorable conditions, the anger within the cannabis community swelled. A campaign to free Rubis began getting more traction online, focused on getting the Biden administration to set him free.
Bill Levers, COO of the non-profit Freedom Grow and co-founder of Beard Bros Pharms, was a founder of the campaign and is one of the loudest voices behind it. He has called for a unified front, encouraging media outlets, activists, and the cannabis community to call for Rubis’s release before Biden leaves office.
“January 20th is 141 days from now, and President Biden’s legacy further erodes every one of those days that Edwin Rubis remains behind bars in federal prison for a non-violent cannabis crime committed nearly three decades ago. C’mon, Joe! Let’s get this man home,” Levers said in a statement.
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Kristin Flor, CEO of Freedom Grow, told GreenState that violent criminals typically receive lighter sentences than non-violent cannabis offenders. She pointed to government statistics as evidence Rubis’s crimes do not match the punishment. For example, the average sentence for a rape conviction is just under 15 years—Rubis was sentenced to 40.
“Edwin has spent about 9,500 nights in a prison cell,” Flor said. “During this time, he has seen murderers and rapists come and go daily. He has also seen our cannabis laws change nationwide, yet he still sits in a federal prison for cannabis.”
Organizers behind the campaign also highlight Rubis’s good behavior while behind bars. According to a press release, Rubis has completed “over 30 educational programs, earning three college degrees in the process, including a Master’s degree in Christian Counseling.”
Advocates argue that the emotional impact of Rubis’s sentence is also a cause for release.
“The relationship with his family has suffered severely,” Flor said. “His children have grown up without him. We would like to have him united with his children as soon as possible. I have got to know Edwin over the years, and he is a very kind, gentle person. He would never hurt anyone. In fact, he is a mentor and has helped a lot of people!”
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Those who wish to support the campaign to free Edwin Rubis are encouraged to reach out to their elected officials and the White House. Donations are also being accepted on behalf of Rubis via Freedom Grow.
Commutations of sentences and pardons are often some of the last political acts conducted by presidents as they exit office. With the Biden administration leaning into cannabis reform and the Harris/Walz campaign equally passionate, it’s possible a number of pot prisoners could be freed in the near future. As Biden prepares to transfer power in January, Rubis and others behind bars for non-violent marijuana crimes hope their cases are among those addressed.
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