{"id":2121,"date":"2015-06-15T02:19:35","date_gmt":"2015-06-15T07:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.candoclemency.com\/?p=2121"},"modified":"2022-08-19T15:35:48","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T20:35:48","slug":"featured-drug-war-prisoner-meet-michael-pelletier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/featured-drug-war-prisoner-meet-michael-pelletier\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Pelletier – Serving Life for Pot"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Paraplegic
Paraplegic Michael Pelletier serving Life without \u00a0 \u00a0parole for marijuana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michael Pelletier<\/h2>\n

At the CAN-DO Foundation, we like to help the public get to know the prisoners we advocate for on a personal level, so this month we’d like to introduce you to a remarkable man, Michael Pelletier. \u00a0A\u00a0wheelchair bound paraplegic since the age of 11, Michael sits in federal prison serving a sentence of life without parole for a nonviolent, victimless marijuana conspiracy offense. \u00a0Despite these hardships, he is one of the most upbeat and optimistic people we have met. \u00a0He has a terrific sense of humor that endears him to all.
\nIncarcerated Since<\/strong>: 2006
\nRelease date:<\/strong> When he dies
\nPrior offense:<\/strong> Mostly Pot priors
\nDate of Birth:<\/strong> 1\/31\/56
\nFamily:<\/strong> No children. Elderly father & siblings.
\nHeath Issues:<\/strong> Michael has been a paraplegic since he lost the use of his legs in a farming accident at age 11. He has had no physical therapy since being incarcerated and has four blood clots in his left leg.<\/p>\n

About Michael Pelletier\u2019s Case:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Pelletier grew up one of 10 French-speaking siblings on his father’s potato farm in St. David, a rural village in Madawaska, Maine,\u00a0near the Canadian border. \u00a0One day in the fields when Michael was 11, he hitched a ride on the back of the tractor, but when the tractor turned, Michael fell. Not realizing that his brother had fallen off, his brother at the wheel drove over him, crushing him beneath the wheels. \u00a0When Michael was about 14 years old, he began to use marijuana, seeking relief from muscle spasms and bladder ailments. The marijuana helped to relieve his physical problems and to cope with depression. Indeed, Michael self-medicated and the result was far better than any pharmaceuticals that had been prescribed for a myriad of complications related to some of his vital organs. His initial interest in marijuana was purely from a medicinal standpoint because it provided the best relief from the pain, spasms and depression caused from the accident.<\/p>\n

To read more:\u00a0GO TO MICHAEL’S PROFILE PAGE\u00a0TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS CASE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dana
Dana Rohrabacher Representative (R-CA 48th District) poses with Michael Pelletier’s portrait of Clemency<\/em> at the home of CAN-DO Founder, Amy Povah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michael is a talented artist. See more of his paintings at \u00a0this link.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Our POWs are more than the sum total of allegations against them, made by the government at trial. \u00a0We asked Michael Pelletier\u00a0a series of questions to help readers know him better. Here are his answers.<\/p>\n

What meal or food do you crave most that you will want to eat when you get out?<\/em><\/strong>
\nI miss my grill BIG TIME so t-bone steak, baby back ribs, and of course, as I am from Maine, Maine lobster!<\/p>\n

What are your favorite books or who are\u00a0your favorite authors?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\nJulia Cameron, Rhonda Byrne, Meera Lester.<\/p>\n

Prefer winter or summer?<\/strong><\/em>
\nSummer.<\/p>\n

Nocturnal or morning person?<\/strong> <\/em>
\nMorning.<\/p>\n

Coffee or tea?<\/strong> <\/em>
\nCoffee.<\/p>\n

Favorite Sports?<\/strong>
\nFootball, baseball, soccer, boxing, Ultimate Fighting Championship.<\/p>\n

Favorite movie(s)?<\/strong><\/em>
\nExit Wounds<\/em> with Steven Seagall and Blood Sport<\/em> with Jean-Claude Van Damme,<\/p>\n

Favorite TV show(s)?<\/strong><\/em>
\nAmerican Idol, Everybody Loves Raymond<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Favorite song(s) and\/or musical artist(s)?<\/strong><\/em>
\nWaiting on a Friend<\/a> <\/em>by the Rolling Stones, Forever Young<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Rod Stewart, Independence Day<\/a> <\/em>by Martina McBride,<\/em>and Shooting Star<\/a> <\/em>by Bad Company.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is your favorite color?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\nCerulean Blue.<\/p>\n

If you could walk out tomorrow and go anywhere \u2013 where would it be and why?<\/strong><\/em>
\nTo\u00a0Madawaska, Maine to see my 89 year old father before he passes away!<\/p>\n

If you could travel to any country \u2013 where would it be and why?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\nTo the Netherlands because it is a country that has common sense about cannabis!<\/p>\n

What do you most want people to understand about being incarcerated that you don\u2019t think they understand?<\/strong><\/em>
\nWhen a paraplegic or someone confined to a wheelchair is incarcerated, we are confined to our cells. \u00a0We can\u2019t work in the kitchen, on the outside crew, in maintenance, etc. \u00a0We can\u2019t play basketball, baseball, handball, or any sport. \u00a0Our time is twice as hard! \u00a0Having a life sentence is a feeling of dying every day. It\u2019s worse than death that happens one time. It\u2019s a living death.<\/p>\n

Write to\u00a0Michael Pelletier \u2013 Life for Pot<\/h2>\n

Michael\u00a0loves to get cards and letters. \u00a0Write to him here:<\/p>\n

Michael Pelletier\u00a0#11109-036<\/strong>
\nFCI Terre Haute
\nP.O. BOX 33
\nTerre Haute, IN 47808<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael Pelletier At the CAN-DO Foundation, we like to help the public get to know the prisoners we advocate for on a personal level, so this month we’d like to introduce you to a remarkable man, Michael Pelletier. \u00a0A\u00a0wheelchair bound paraplegic since the age of 11, Michael sits in federal prison serving a sentence of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,4],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-2121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-can-do-media","category-can-do-news","tag-can-do-foundation"],"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Michael-Pelletier_headshot-e1453771572154.jpg",100,100,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Amy Ralston Povah","author_link":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/author\/candoamy\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":40,"name":"CAN-DO in the Media","slug":"can-do-media","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":40,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":199,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":40,"category_count":199,"category_description":"","cat_name":"CAN-DO in the Media","category_nicename":"can-do-media","category_parent":0},{"term_id":4,"name":"CAN-DO News","slug":"can-do-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":224,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":4,"category_count":224,"category_description":"","cat_name":"CAN-DO News","category_nicename":"can-do-news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":27,"name":"CAN-DO Foundation","slug":"can-do-foundation","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":27,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":461,"filter":"raw"}],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":40,"label":"CAN-DO in the Media"},{"value":4,"label":"CAN-DO News"}],"post_tag":[{"value":27,"label":"CAN-DO Foundation"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14974,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121\/revisions\/14974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sheryanne.com\/cando-new2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}