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Case Result
Humberto Ramirez | Middle Township, New Jersey
State of New Jersey vs Humberto Ramirez
County: Cape May
Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute
Amount: 6 Pounds
Defendant Outcome: Plea Deal
Sentence: 7 Years
Admission Year: 2019
Year Released: 2022
Foundation Outcome: Parole Granted after meeting with Governor Murphy’s senior advisor.
Humberto “Berto” Ramirez is a New Jersey man whose incarceration became a widely discussed example of the contradictions between cannabis legalization and ongoing imprisonment for marijuana offenses.
Case Overview
Ramirez was arrested on February 19, 2019, after police stopped his vehicle in Middle Township, New Jersey and discovered approximately six pounds of cannabis in the trunk of his car.
He was charged with a second-degree marijuana offense related to possession with intent to distribute. Because Ramirez had two prior cannabis convictions from nearly two decades earlier, the case triggered stricter sentencing rules.
In November 2020, just days after New Jersey voters approved a referendum legalizing adult-use cannabis, Ramirez was sentenced to seven years in state prison with a mandatory minimum of two years.
In September 2022, Ramirez was released from prison as he was granted parole. Donte West navigated this release with Humberto Ramirez wife Brooke Anne; we conducted a meeting with Gov Phil Murphy senior advisor Rev. Derrick Green which took the parole packet to parole officials for review.
Senior Advisor Rev Derrick Green to Gov Phil Murphy and Brooke Anne parole preparation meeting for Humberto Ramirez with a Host of Advocates from The Forgotten Prisoner.
He was subsequently reunited with his family after serving part of his sentence. His Wife Brooke Anne described the moment as emotional, saying the family was finally able to return to everyday life together.
Special Thanks to this guy “ Donte West” , one of the smartest men I ever spoke to in my life. - Brooke Anne ( Wife of Humberto Ramirez ) in Manhattan, New York at a Criminal Justice Gala in 2022
Ramirez’s release was celebrated by cannabis justice advocates as an important step toward addressing the remaining harms of marijuana prohibition.