Today America has more people in prison, per capita, than any other country on earth. The majority of those incarcerated are there for drug related offenses. We need to STOP the war on drugs, it is a gross waste of money and the wrong aporach to the problem. The first step in changing this problem and correcting the thinking of our judicial and legislative system is to STOP incarcerating non-violent marijuana "criminals". Shawn Taylor is currently facing this nightmare, and while some of his actions may not have been in lock-step with the law, he should not be treated as a criminal.

Shawn Taylor is a 34 year old father and husband from West Michigan. In 2008 Michigan passed a medical marijuana law. Shawn took advantage of this new legislation to help himself, his friends and his family make money in an economy that was struggling. Please read his story and sign this petition. Shawn IS NOT some gang leader, he has NEVER been accused of anything violent, and all he ever did was try to make a better life for the people he loved. The fact that he is currently in jail waiting sentencing to federal prison is not only a gross violation of Shawn's personal human rights, but it is a threat to every person in our country who believes that our government is there to help us. Please read Shawn's story and sign this petition!

I have know Shawn Taylor since 1999. He has always been someone who worked hard and cared deeply for those who he considered close to him. He has also always had a strong ability to network and build a large circle of friends and aquaintances. In the 2008 election Michigan had the chance to vote on a medical marijuana law. The law passed with a majority vote in every voting district in our state, winning with an overwhelming 67% overall statewide majority. The law states that a person who grows medical marijuana for their own use is allowed 12 plants, and 2 1/2 ounces. In order to get this certification it costs a couple hundred dollars to be certified by a doctor, plus another hundred to the state.  The law also allows for "caregivers". These are people who grow plants for people who have niether the knowlege or inclination to grow their own. It also allows for caregivers to be compensated by their "patients" for the marijuana they grow for them. Each caregiver is allowed 5 patients. That is a basic break down of our law. Now, enter, Shawn Taylor. 

Shawn has always been a hard worker and enterprising fellow. When this law came into effect (and what I am about to tell you is what Shawn has plead guilty to in federal court) Shawn devised a way to help many people. Making a long story short, what he did was began paying the fees for other people to become certified.  Often times he would help to find them houses to grow in and help them grow. In a few instances Shawn rented industrial spaces and partitioned off the whole space so that each patient or caregiver would have their own space in the building with no access to the other peoples areas. For doing this he would get a percentage of each patient's harvest until his innitial investment was repaid, after which time he would allow them to do what they pleased with their grow room. Often times, they chose to remain associated with Shawn, because his knowlege of growing and his large network of people in the business was helpful. The fact that he had his hands in so many people's grow operations is why he is being prossectued by the feds. 

Over the course of 4 years the state drug enforcement task force and law enforcement agencies came into numerous grow rooms Shawn was associated with, and he was told EVERY TIME that he was within the bounds of state law. It is true that they were never shown the full extent of what he was involved in at any given time. They would go into one grow room at a time. But they did see him in enough grow rooms to make him believe that what he was doing was within the bounds of our law. And they saw him in enough grow rooms that if what he was doing was so blatently violating our laws the state should have acted long before the feds did.

In the end the Federal Government arrested Shawn and over 30 other people who were involved with him. Those arrested with him were people who had their Medical cards because Shawn had paid for them to get it. Some of what the government claims Shawn was a part of is not inacurate. Much of it is. They say he harvested millions of dollars of marijuana. When shawn was arrested he had less that $10,000 in liquid assests. He was living with his wife and boys in a country house. 

I have known Shawn for many many years and let me tell you this: any money Shawn made in this operation went back to the people who he was helping. Shawn HELPED people, Shawn cares about his friends. HE LEGITIMATELY HELPED PEOPLE! He is not a violent gang leader. The reason shawn plead guilty rather than fight his charges at trial is because the government told him if he did not plead guilty they would charge his wife and his children would be taken away.  They were really playing hardball, and who in that situation would do anything different. 

Today Shawn is sitting in the Newaygo county jail in Michigan, waiting to be sentence in April in Grand Rapids district of the Federal Court. Please sign this petition emploring judge Jonker to show compassion. Shawn has never been a crime lord. It makes him uncomfortable to be in the same room as a gun. I have never seen him act violent towards anyone.  He streached the limits of our state law to help scores of friend and family stay afloat or make a few bucks. He may not have strictly been within the bounds of the law but he never hurt any one, he and everyone involved were all consenting adults. He certainly does not deserve what they want to give him.

Sign this petition if you care about personal freedom. Sign this petition if you are offended by the mass incarceration of non-violent marijuana "criminals" in our country. These practices should not exist in a country based personal freedom, liberty and democratic process.