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Discount Pharms

Marijuana Charge Lands Man in Prison For 18 Years--He Is Now Free

2 min read

The prohibition on marijuana, and subsequently the war on drugs, has brought no small amount of unjust prison sentences throughout the years. Each year hundreds of non-violent men and women are caught in possession of marijuana and sentenced to massive fines and even prison time. Discount Pharms has the details:

In a country where nearly half of the population has access to legalized recreational marijuana, the imbalance of justice is anything but fair. However, for some, the punishments are more imbalanced than others.

Craig Cesal

In the case of one man, Craig Cesal, the punishment he faced for being caught with connection to marijuana was far, and way worse than anyone could have ever dreamed. Craig Cesal was a Chicago native who lived a life many of us would consider normal. He had a wife, kids, a university education, and he even owned his own business repairing trucks in Lakeland, Florida.

The trouble for Mr. Cesal began when a certain group of individuals began asking him to repair their refrigerated trucks. Mr. Cesal stated that he had a feeling that these trucks were being used for smuggling something, but he felt it was none of his business. That is, until it was discovered that the trucks had been used to smuggle tons of marijuana illegally.

In 1996, Mr. Cesal was sentenced to lifetime in prison for a non-violent conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Despite Mr. Cesal himself never having any contact with marijuana, nor having any knowledge of the marijuana in questioned--he simply repaired the trucks for the clients. This landed him what has now been 18 years in prison and should have been far more if not for a major break in his case.

On the 17th of June 2020, Mr. Cesal was approved for release to home confinement due to complications in the prison system with Covid-19. Mr. Cesal himself is in the high-risk group with diabetes and lung related issues. This only came after multiple denials from the Bureau of Prisons and Federal Corrections Institute of Terre Haute, IN.

His current home release was made possible by a massive online campaign backed by friends, family, locals, and even some within the marijuana industry. The outpouring of support for Mr. Cesal even sent word to Attorney General William Barr. Finally, after enough noise, Craig Cesall was able to be released for the duration of this coronavirus epidemic. Although it should be noted, he has not earned his freedom yet.

Craig Cesal still hopes to fight his sentencing and earn his freedom entirely. Behind him are his daughters, his family, and many within the marijuana community.

Mr. Cesal claims that he did not know what he was doing was even against the law, as he had no connection to the marijuana and did not even know it existed. As a truck repairman, he claims he was innocent of the charges brought against him--and many are inclined to agree.

Despite the situation not being perfectly remedied, Mr. Cesal still states that he is happy to be home with his family. He feared that with a life sentence, he would never get the chance to see and hug his daughters again as a free man. For now, he will get to spend time with his loved ones, and he hopes to fight for his full freedom moving forward.

Original Content Source: discountpharms.com