Our next highlight in the ILLICIT Freedoms Campaign is Ronald Kennedy, Jr. In 2017, Ronald was arrested in his home for racketeering and the intent to distribute less than 450g of marijuana. He remembers the day he got arrested, “I looked out the window and saw my house surrounded. I’m wondering what’s going on. Once I realized, they already came in, slammed me on the ground, my mom, my sister and everyone else.”  In 2020, medical marijuana dispensaries in Missouri generated nearly $30 million in state tax revenue. That same year, 10,650 Missourians were arrested for marijuana possession, according to FBI crime data.

In 2017, there were over 20,000 arrests for marijuana possession in Missouri with marijuana convictions accounting for over 53% of all drug convictions in the state. Ronald found out the details of his case on his first day in court, months after his arrest, and was eventually sentenced to 48 months in prison. His incarceration cost Missouri taxpayers $95,316.67

As the guards came to take 19-year-old Ronald to prison, he thought, “I’m not ready for prison, not for weed, for marijuana? Really? This is stuff you see everyday: Seeing your family, friends, aunts or whoever, use it for medicine.”

In Missouri, Black people are arrested for marijuana possession at more than double the rate of white people, according to the ACLU. In Clay County, Missouri, this increases to three times the rate. And in Johnson County, Missouri, and Lafayette County, Missouri, Black people are more than 10 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people. Ronald says in his interview at @strangemusic , which you can listen to through the link in bio, “Me going to prison for marijuana is just something I never imagined. Now, it’s like it’s everywhere.”

Ronald remembers his prison time for marijuana as a mental journey. He says, “That brought me to the lowest point, being lonely, being incarcerated, thinking a lot, understanding what my family is going through without me being there. That feeling of abandonment,” He says, “Prison is something that brought that negative space between us because of the absence of me being in their lives as they grew within the 4 years that I was absent.” Ronald let this drive him, bringing light to darkness, “It gave me that strength to just get through this day so the next day can come. And then you can get that much closer to making them happy, seeing them smile.”

Ronald was arrested for intent to distribute less than 450g and racketeering. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison, costing taxpayers $95,316.67. Ronald was sentenced to 48 months for intent to distribute less than 450g and racketeering. He says, “It was about the longest time of my life.” After serving months waiting for his court date, and taking a plea, he served 39 months in prison and was recently released in 2021 at the age of 24. When asked about his freedom from behind bars, Ronald says, “It does follow me.”

Those with a felony conviction still have the right to vote, but can be denied the opportunity to volunteer in hospitals or start a gym membership. Even people who don’t serve prison time struggle with a felony conviction on their record, as several apartment companies in the Kansas City area don’t rent to convicted felons. Even students have been rejected from nursing school because the school’s insurance program won’t cover those with a felony record.

Ronald remains humble and motivated. “I would say being free is just an eye opener. Freedom allows you to understand that being here is a gift,” he says, “Being free is something that not everyone gets to endure ever again. There’s people never coming home from prison because of marijuana.”