E-Commerce Platform Dutchie Partners with the Last Prisoner Project

Dutchie this month announced a new partnership with the Last Prisoner Project. The Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit dedicated to undoing the damage done to people jailed and imprisoned for non-violent offenses during the U.S. “War on Drugs” and seeks release for those imprisoned on cannabis charges.

Dutchie, founded in 2017, is Bend, OR-based cannabis e-commerce platform connecting consumers to local cannabis retailers.

To kick off the partnership, Dutchie donated US$100,000 to the Last Prisoner Project and has pledged to match up to $1 million in donations from its dispensary partners and customers. Dutchie’s initial donation will create 400 new grants to help formerly incarcerated individuals reenter society.

Through the partnership, Dutchie will support the Last Prisoner Project’s range of efforts—which include the expungement of criminal records, re-entry support for the convicted and legal reform—by also providing its digital commerce technology to help generate and process monetary contributions to the nonprofit.

The Last Prisoner Project was founded in 2019. Backed by cannabis industry leaders, criminal and social justice advocates, and policy and education experts, The Last Prisoner Project is devoted to freeing the estimated 40,000 individuals still incarcerated for non-violent cannabis crimes.

While cannabis has been formally legalized or informally decriminalized in all but a handful of states, many Americans, primarily those of color, remain behind bars for cannabis-related crimes. This is especially true for Black Americans, who are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested on cannabis charges than white Americans.

“Dutchie is committed to having a positive impact on the future of the cannabis industry and the broad benefits it is bringing to society. We cannot erase past injustices that people and communities have experienced as a result of decades of failed cannabis policy,” Dutchie co-founder and CEO Ross Lipson said in a statement.

“But we can work to bring restitution to those who have been harmed by supporting their release from incarceration and giving them a new lease on life. We are committed to advancing our shared vision to release those behind bars for non-violent cannabis offenses and we’re excited to leverage the Dutchie ecosystem to help scale our impact.”

Dutchie counts among its missions creating equity for underrepresented and marginalized groups. The company, currently valued at $3.75 billion and providing services to more than 5,000 dispensaries throughout the U.S. and Canada, has social programs designed to support Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC). Dutchie is a member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and through various training and marketing stipends, it also champions the cause of women-led dispensaries.

“We are excited to begin our partnership with Dutchie and grateful for their generous support of our mission. Together, we will redress the harms of cannabis prohibition by advancing crucial criminal justice and drug policy reforms,” Last Prisoner Project managing director Mary Bailey said.

“More than 15.7 million Americans have been arrested for nonviolent cannabis crimes in the last two decades. Some of whom are serving life sentences without parole. Together, we’ll help give people and families their lives back.”

Through intervention, advocacy and awareness campaigns, the Last Prisoner Project works to redress past injustices and continuing the harm of ineffective cannabis laws and policies. Visit www.lastprisonerproject.org or text FREEDOM to 24365 to donate and learn more.