40 Under 40: Mary Bailey

As managing director of The Last Prisoner Project which was founded in 2019, Mary Bailey is a heroic and familiar voice in the conversation for social change. Her core belief remains that no one should be
incarcerated for cannabis.

Bailey says she’s happy to see some of the benefits that have come from weed legalization. Still, she’s
dedicated to fighting for those who have been wronged by the criminalization of cannabis—and she expects the same of her colleagues in the industry.

“These people have been displaced from their loving families and forced to live behind bars for their bravery in pushing the plant before a fully legal market existed,” Bailey said. “I’m also relieved to see the stigma against cannabis slowly shifting, especially for older generations—my grandparents, for one, are fully embracing the healing power of the plant.”

This story was originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.