The end of 2015 is drawing near, and it’s time to start reflecting back on the year that was. 2015 was a big year for marijuana, especially in Oregon where I live. Marijuana legalization took effect in July, and limited recreational sales began on October 1. Almost everyone I know in Oregon that has a suitable location is growing marijuana now. It’s been an amazing year.
There were a lot of victories in the marijuana world in 2015, despite what Kevin Sabet tried to say in his recent reefer madness puff piece on the Huffington Post. I won’t link to it because it makes my head hurt every time I see the article. Google it, it’s not hard to find. My favorite marijuana moment, and the ‘victory of the year’ in my opinion, was the release of Jeff Mizanskey.
Jeff Mizanskey was sentenced to life in prison for non-violent, marijuana-only offenses in Missouri. He had served over two decades of that sentence. But with the help of an awareness campaign led by the Mizanskey family, Jeff eventually became eligible for parole, and was freed in 2015. I had the honor and privilege of meeting Jeff and his son (and some other hardworking Missouri activists!) in Las Vegas this last year at the Marijuana Business Conference where Jeff was honored. I also got to witness Jeff Mizanskey and Robert Platshorn meet for the first time at the same event, which is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.
With 2015 almost wrapped up, what was your favorite marijuana moment from the last year, and why?
