Donte West is a national criminal justice advocate who is fighting for cannabis decriminalization in Oklahoma. According to the University of Michigan Law School, West became the 2779th person to be exonerated in America. West had no criminal history when he was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for a pound of marijuana in Kansas. He served three years at Lansing Correctional Facility before being exonerated in 2021 after being granted a rare Habeaus Corpus motion, as his lawyer did not read his case the week of the trial.
Now released, West travels nationwide, helping those incarcerated with the most severe cannabis sentences. He believes that passing State Question 820 is an important step towards creating a more just and equitable society in Oklahoma. “The law requires resentencing, reversing, modifying, and expunging prior marijuana-related judgments and sentences,” West says. “We will fight for the people that don’t have a voice as they have a chance at resentencing on March 7.”
While serving time, West was in prison and bunkies with Kyle Page, a cultivation tech at Ascend Cannabis in NJ. “This gentleman that I met from the Last Prisoner Project [Donte West] fought his case from inside of there and got out. And he told me that he was going to reach back in and help get me out, which he did,” Page says. “He got me out in time to be home for Christmas for my family. It was amazing. My daughter was 12 years old when I got incarcerated; she was 18 when I got released. So, I missed so much of her life.”
Yesterday March 2nd, Donte arrived at Million Aviation in Topeka, Kansas, on a private flight from Oklahoma City. The staff at Stability Cannabis in Oklahoma did not hesitate when West told them he had to get down to the state’s capitol in Kansas for a testimony for the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice committee on a decriminalization bill in the midst of campaigning for Yes on 820. The Stability group understood the importance of what it means for him to have an opportunity to share his story anywhere it needed to be told, especially in a state that has no form of legalization.
West’s story demonstrates how the criminal justice system can be flawed and how the drug war has disproportionately impacted communities of color. People of color are far more likely to be arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses than their white counterparts, despite similar usage rates. As an advocate for cannabis decriminalization, West is actively fighting to create a more just and equitable society, one where people of color are not unfairly targeted and incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses.
He is also pursuing his entrepreneurial ambitions in the cannabis industry, with plans to open his own dispensary in Jersey City where he was approved for a conditional license and his hometown Stockton. West has also launched his own brand, West, currently on shelves in Missouri with From the Earth/ Illicit Gardens.
He is collaborating closely with Yes on 820, Haze Ent., Black Cannabis Magazine, Stability Cannabis, Mango Cannabis, Wise Organic, Sage Cannabis, Origin Extracts, Private Reserve Gardens, Capital Dank, and other groups in Oklahoma to develop strategic plans for success on March 7th. By working with these organizations, West hopes to raise awareness of the importance of cannabis decriminalization and help those who are unjustly imprisoned for cannabis offenses.
Reforming cannabis laws and reducing or eliminating sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses will have significant benefits for individuals, families, and our society,” says Denver Kitch, CEO of Stability Cannabis. “Over the past two decades, 15.7 million people were arrested for cannabis-related offenses. Many of these individuals are still incarcerated for something that isn’t a crime anymore. Cannabis prison reform has the potential to create a more just and equitable society, while also saving taxpayer money.”
Donte West’s advocacy for cannabis resentencing is driven by his personal experience of being wrongly incarcerated for a nonviolent drug offense. Through his work with Yes on 820 and other organizations in Oklahoma, he is striving to make a difference and create a more just and equitable society, where people are not unfairly targeted and punished for their cannabis use. To support Donte West and vote on State Question 820 in Oklahoma, visit the Oklahoma State Election Board website.
