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Are People in Minnesota being sentenced to prison for Marijuana?

    Yes. Keep in mind that the the courts and the state, “prison” means a court commitment of the person’s body and rights to the Minnesota Commissioner (Department) of Corrections, for more than a year. So a “commitment” of one year and one day or longer, means prison.

    Many more than are sentenced to “prison” (over a year and a day); are sentenced to county jail time (“The workhouse”) for one year or less.

    Below are number for people convicted of marijuana crimes in Minnesota court, who are sent to prison:

    492 people sentenced (convicted] per year Average, for “marijuana crimes.”

    Year2006200820102011201220132014201520162017
    People424532497605517497462466433487

    Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission report, Controlled Substance Offenses Sentencing Practices, December 18, 2018, Page 10, https://mn.gov/msgc-stat/documents/reports/2017/Updated2017MSGCReportControlledSubstances.pdf

    “The total incarceration rate for drug offenders sentenced [convicted] was 92 percent, with 20 percent receiving a prison sentence and 72 percent getting up to one year of local confinement (i.e., local correctional facility, county jail or workhouse) as a condition of probation (Table 1).”

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    People convicted of “Marijuana crimes” sentenced and committed to Minnesota prisons

    Year2005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017
    People60393948584057586461675450

    685 total / 13 years = 53.46 avg / yr fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, daughters & sons committed to Minn State prison (over 365 days) per year Average, for “marijuana crimes.”

    Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission report, Controlled Substance Offenses Sentencing Practices, December 18, 2018, Page 18, https://mn.gov/msgc-stat/documents/reports/2017/Updated2017MSGCReportControlledSubstances.pdf

    Far more than the above are locked up in County.

    Does anyone really believe that this is justice?

    Join us in ending the criminal Prohibition of marijuana in Minnesota.