Meet the Man Serving 40 Years on Nonviolent Cannabis Charges, Awaiting Biden’s Clemency

Edwin Rubis served 27 years of a 40-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of nonviolent cannabis-related charges in the late 1990s. Cannabis and criminal justice reform advocates are rallying for his release through a presidential pardon from the Biden administration.

Rubis, now 56, was 29 and had one child and another on the way in 1998 when the DEA arrested him and charged him with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. No drugs, weapons or money were found in Edwin’s possession. He was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

During his 27 years in prison, Rubis has been an exemplary inmate, earning three college degrees and participating in more than 30 rehabilitation programs. Without government intervention, he is not scheduled to be released until 2031, when he will be 63.

“I no longer belong in prison. I am not a threat to society. The Bureau of Prisons has classified me as a nonviolent offender with a low risk of recidivism. I am a nonviolent cannabis offender. I believe in redemption,” Rubis said in a statement. Beard Bros Pharmacy Press Release. “I am a compassionate and caring person who does not judge others based on their culture, beliefs or religion, but on the intentions of their hearts. I am honest and loyal, responsible and accountable. I deserve a second chance at life.”

His parents are in their 80s, and Edwin wants to see them again. His three adult children have been deprived of their father’s presence for most of their lives, said Beard Bros., a leading brand and media outlet that is calling on President Joe Biden to grant a full pardon and release Rubis from federal prison.

Read also: Federal cops raid legal marijuana store in Texas: Why the big guns? Defenders say it’s ‘absurd’

Biden’s Broken Promise

On October 6, 2022, Biden granted a blanket pardon for prior misdemeanor counts of simple possession of cannabis in violation of federal law and the District of Columbia Code. In December 2023, Biden expanded the pardon to cover misdemeanor counts of cannabis use and simple possession and called on state governors to do the same.

Still nothing: No federal inmates have been pardoned for nonviolent marijuana offenses. Beard Bros. Pharm notes that Rubis “is not the only prisoner who fits this description, but his continued incarceration is a reminder of this administration’s half-steps on marijuana reform, and his immediate release would signal the Democratic Party’s commitment to future criminal justice reform.”

Because he is not seeking reelection, President Biden has just over two months until Election Day and more than four months until a new president is sworn in, “to right what he calls ‘historic wrongs’ and grant Edwin Rubis a full presidential pardon.”

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Photo courtesy of Last Prisoner Project