steve lamb turned 21 in prison.
In his honor, we want to help to free people serving time for cannabis-related crimes.
Steve Lamb spent 11 years of his life in prison for charges related to marijuana. He spent another 11 years in exile while evading violation of parole charges. His sentences were all appealed or reduced—had he served them in their entirety, he would have been imprisoned at least 20 years more. This pales in comparison to what many others (particularly people of color) have served, but the time Steve lost was significant—and needless.
Steve can’t get that time back, but his story could be used to help exonerate others who are still in prison. We plan to use "The Green Flash" to promote cannabis clemency.
why now?
Last Prisoner Project cites that 15.7 million people have been arrested for marijuana offenses and $47 billion dollars have been spent annually on the U.S. “War on Drugs.” Yet it’s legal recreationally in 24 states and medically in 38. As of 2022, the legal cannabis industry in the U.S. was valued at $13.2 billion dollars.
Apart from being unjust that anyone continue to languish in prison for a drug that’s increasingly legal and lucrative, marijuana charges have been especially weaponized against communities of color.
How different would Steve Lamb’s life be if marijuana were legal in 1973? How different would the US be? Could smugglers have used their skills to make a comfortable living for themselves and their families?
As a documentary film, “The Green Flash” cannot answer these questions, nor does it aspire to. Instead, it humanizes these questions as Steve Lamb considers his own legacy.
“The Green Flash” also brings Steve’s story into the present, focusing on what it’s like for men like him to age. We see an ex-convict and former federal fugitive attempt to make things right as a father, friend, and grandfather. He’s no longer incarcerated, but he’s still imprisoned by addiction and physical decline. Seeing the toll this takes on his whole family offers a timely perspective to America’s evolving attitude towards drugs.
We hope to provide an impactful contribution to the fight for cannabis clemency.