(WXYZ) — Social justice advocates are asking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to pardon a metro Detroit man who is serving time for marijuana offenses.
Rudi Gammo's family said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and his 6-year-old son is battling Leukemia.
Gammo was a pioneer in the medical marijuana industry. Action News told you his story back in 2018 when he was sentenced to five years in prison for conducting a criminal enterprise.
RELATED: Medical marijuana dispensary owner's prison sentence raises questions over prosecution
His attorney now argues that his crime doesn't fit the punishment as more communities relax cannabis laws. They are asking the governor for a pardon.
The executive director for Last Prisoner Project is also urging his release and sent a letter to Gov. Whitmer that reads in part, "Rudi Gammo was arrested while operating a dispensary sanctioned by the city of Detroit under Michigan’s 2008 medical cannabis law, a dispensary which remains open to this day while Rudi sits behind bars. He is serving a five-year prison sentence that began in 2018 while his family suffers as a result. Rudi’s 6-year-old son Santino Gammo was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has begun treatment without having the help and support of his father. And just days ago, Rudi tested positive for COVID-19, a potentially deadly sentence at a time when prison healthcare systems are under heavy strain."
You can read the full letter HERE.
Action News reached out to Gov. Whitmer's office on Tuesday and did not immediately hear back.
