Cheba Hut hosts SmokeOut Injustice Day, raising funds for Last Prisoner project
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (KRDO) -- Cheba Hut celebrated its 24th birthday with an event called Smoke Out Injustice Day, to raise funds for the Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform.
A dollar from every sub sold at the stoner-themed sandwich shops in Colorado Springs on Thursday will be donated to help free those incarcerated for cannabis possession.
"Being a cannabis-themed restaurant here, we know that we are privileged to be able to talk about cannabis and to celebrate it and the culture, but there are people that are less fortunate," said Hannah Mitchell an employee for Cheba Hut on N. Chestnut Street.
Though the State of Colorado legalized the use of marijuana in 2012, according to the 2021 Colorado Department Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice report, there are thousands of people still in Colorado prisons convicted before the law was changed, but nationally it is more. In December, Gov. Jared Polis pardoned over 1,000 Coloradans with cannabis possession convictions.
"There are still over 40,000 people incarcerated for non-violent, weed-related crimes and we just do not feel that is right and we just want to be able to raise money for them and get justice for those still serving time," added Mitchell.
The Last Prisoner Project is a non-profit that supports cannabis criminal justice reform. Cheba Hut has 15 locations across Colorado hoping to raise up to $45,000 for the cause.
One Cheba Hut customers feels this event is one step closer to change.
"When they do get out they will have something to look forward to, it is not something should feel bad about for being incarcerated, sometimes, you just get the bad hand," said Damon, a Cheba Hut customer.
