Jim Belushi Says Cannabis Prisoners Are The Real Industry Pioneers

Jim Belushi never fails to move a crowd with his advocacy for cannabis and those who’ve been wrongfully sentenced for nonviolent crimes. The actor recently made his second appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and had some pretty compelling words about individuals in prison for cannabis crimes. 

Before he got into the more serious side of cannabis, the entrepreneur talked about his cannabis farming practices and the new season of Growing Belushi, his Discovery show that tracks the process of growing marijuana on his farm in Oregon. New episodes of the second season are available on Discovery every Wednesday night. 

He opened up and explained that although he’s well versed in the cannabis game, he doesn’t smoke to get baked and kick back; instead, he microdoses edibles and his own brand’s flower to help him sleep better.

After explaining why he uses cannabis, Meyers asked Belushi if he had any words of wisdom for aspiring professional cannabis growers and farmers, where Belushi quickly responded, “Don’t do it.” He expanded on how it seems like a “gold rush, but it is not. This is farming, Seth. I am a farmer; I am in the soil.”

Although he playfully discouraged people from cannabis farming because of the hard labor put into the practice and how the “farmer man has a tough life,” he said at the end of the day, “It’s fun, I love it.”

Finally, the actor passionately opened up about his thoughts and advocacy efforts involving those who are still in prison for nonviolent cannabis-related crimes. Belushi explained he’s currently in partnership with The Last Prisoner Project, an organization helping release cannabis prisoners and assisting them in re-entering society and the workforce.

When speaking on those still imprisoned for cannabis crimes, Belushi said, “They were the pioneers for the cannabis industry,” meaning they’re the ones who “took the arrows” and were sentenced to jail in support of the blossoming industry. Belushi explained that no matter the amount they were caught with, these prisoners were likely trying to “make a living for their family.”

His closing remarks shed light on the trauma that creates for families when a core member is thrown in prison for what should have been a minor offense at most. Belushi stated there are currently “40,000 men and women incarcerated right now for nonviolent cannabis crimes,” a truly devastating number.