BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • Trending

#BBCtrending: The man serving life for marijuana

  • Published
    26 July 2014
Share page
About sharing
Jeff MizanskeyImage source, Ray Downs
By BBC Trending
What's popular and why

Campaigners in the US are calling for the release of a man in Missouri serving a life sentence without parole for a marijuana offence. They are crowdfunding and using the hashtag #FreeJeff.

Jeff Mizanskey has been in prison for almost 21 years. For 20 of those years, no-one outside his friends and family had heard of his case. But in the past months, and weeks in particular, that has started to change.

More than 370,000 people have signed an online petition, external for his release. And now campaigners are crowdfunding, external to try to raise $21,000 (£12,000) for him - a symbolic $1,000 for each year he's been inside. They plan to spend the money raised on billboards, and a media campaign to raise awareness of his case.

In 1994 Mizanskey was found guilty of "possession and intent to distribute, external" cannabis. It was his third offence, and under Missouri's "prior and persistent drug offender" law, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

"He's been in prison since right after I was born," says Aaron Malin who's organising the #FreeJeff, external fundraising, and is director of research at Show-Me Cannabis, which aims to get marijuana legalised in Missouri. "He's never used the internet, or even held a cellphone... He's not familiar with the concept of Twitter - much less a hashtag," he adds.

Jeff MizanskeyImage source, Aaron Malin

Over the past few years, the laws on marijuana have been relaxed in many parts of the US. It's been decriminalised for medical use in a number of states, and for recreational use in Colorado and the state of Washington. Set against this context, it's a "disturbing irony", says Malin that - barring clemency from the governor of Missouri - Mizanskey will spend the rest of his life in prison.

"It really resonated with people," says Ray Downs, staff reporter with the Riverfront Times, who was the first to write , external about Jeff Mizanskey's story. "It kind of blew a lot of people's minds... here in Missouri you'd be hard pressed to find people who say 'This guy should be in prison until he dies,'" he says.

Indeed most of those commenting on the story online are supportive of the campaign for Jeff Mizanskey to be released. "This man should NOT be behind bars. He has more than served the time befitting his crime," wrote one woman, external who donated to the fundraiser. But not everyone agrees. "A drug dealer is a drug dealer no matter the drug. He's right where he belongs," wrote another woman.

The office of the governor of Missouri told BBC Trending they're currently "reviewing the merits of a petition for clemency submitted by Mr Mizanskey". Across the US, there are a number of people, external serving life sentences for cannabis-related convictions.

Reporting by Cordelia Hebblethwaite, external

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external

All our stories are at bbc.com/trending

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Israel commits to daily pauses in fighting as six more malnutrition deaths reported in Gaza

    • 2965 viewing3k viewing
  • 'We need a real solution': Gazans welcome aid plan but fear it will not end crisis

    • Published
      1 hour ago
  • Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

    • Published
      9 hours ago

More to explore

  • 'We need a real solution': Gazans welcome aid plan but fear it will not end crisis

    A Palestinian woman carries a bag of food on her head in Rafah, Gaza. She is wearing a black outfit and black headscarf. Behind her is a boy and other people.
  • Why I'm not paying into a pension

    Mohaimen with a big smile looking at the camera, wearing a cotton printed shirt which is both striped and has flower images on it.
  • Feeling tense? Here's how to survive the final with your nerves intact

    A woman in a blue England T-shirt holds her hands in the prayer position surrounded by fans in Boxpark, Croydon, London, in a particularly tense moment during the semi-final between England and Italy
  • Lucky mugs and vintage shirts: England fans share their matchday rituals

    A woman wearing glasses is drawing a red and white England flag on her right cheek in face paint while looking at her reflection on her mobile phone.
  • The make-believe festival boasting Glastonbury headliners planned by a convicted fraudster

    James Kenny is standing sideways in front of a blue and purple promotional screen at the National Television Awards, with the NTA branding behind him. He is a white man with short grey, thinning hair who is smiling and holding his hand up to his chin in a comedic way. He is wearing a blue jumper, square glasses and a NTA lanyard.
  • Screams and chaos: The moments after Bangladesh fighter jet hit a primary school

    Ahnaf
  • The last custodian: A Kashmiri artisan's battle to save a musical legacy

    A man wearing a black shirt and a white skull cap with black glasses looks into the camera. There are posters and wooden cutouts hanging on a wall in the background
  • How reality TV changed the way we think - for the better

    A treated image showing an old TV screen with a close up eye
  • Why we need to talk about periods, breasts and injuries in women's sport

    Chloe running towards the camera with her arms to her sides, wearing white shorts and white sports bra with her England shirt twirled up in her right hand, screaming with joy, blonde hair flying
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Astronomer's 'clever' PR move embracing CEO scandal - featuring Gwyneth Paltrow

  2. 2

    Why I'm not paying into a pension

  3. 3

    Does this look like a real woman? AI Vogue model raises concerns about beauty standards

  4. 4

    Plans for pubs to get greater protection from noise complaints

  5. 5

    Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

  6. 6

    Trump back on the golf course for day two of Scottish visit

  7. 7

    Investigating one of the UK's most abusive cults

  8. 8

    The make-believe festival boasting Glastonbury headliners planned by a convicted fraudster

  9. 9

    Thailand and Cambodia thank Trump for mediation, but shelling continues

  10. 10

    Screams and chaos: The moments after Bangladesh fighter jet hit a primary school

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • New drama from writer Jimmy McGovern

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Unforgivable
  • The Bafta award-winning comedy returns

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Such Brave Girls
  • An epic road trip across Vietnam

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Top Gear
  • Amol Rajan and Billy Bragg chat politics

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Radical with Amol Rajan
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.