When that offense was no longer a crime, my brother got out of prison
There are a lot of positive things that have occurred since medical and recreational marijuana were legalized in the state. The state is collecting a huge amount of revenue from the taxes they charge on marijuana supplies. The taxes are being used to pay for state infrastructure like bridges, road work, and community centers. During the last year, the city has fixed all of the potholes in town. That’s better progress than I’ve seen in a decade. When recreational and medical marijuana were legalized, a lot of people were released from long-term prison sentences. Since their offenses were no longer considered a crime, they had the ability to appeal sentences and get out of prison early. One of the people that applied for an early release from prison was my big brother. The guy is 12 years older than me. My mom was really young when he was born and she was still spending a lot of time partying. She wasn’t the best mom to my brother and he ended up turning to the street and a life of crime. My brother was dealing drugs by that time he was 14. He got a 12-year sentence when he was 18 years old, because he had an ounce of marijuana. When that offense was no longer a crime, my brother got out of prison. He came to stay with my girlfriend and I for a while, but now he is working at the cannery and living in an apartment close to work. The guy is a model citizen and we get to know each other for the first time.