In the Dominican Republic, a 79-year-old activist dies in prison for growing medical cannabis

In a recent and poignant case that shook the cannabis community and Dominican society, Juan Tomás Llibre Miller, a 79-year-old intellectual, engineer and activist, died while in custody in Puerto Plata.

Llibre, known for his fervent defense of the self-cultivation and medical use of cannabis, died on June 2, in circumstances that many have described as inhumane and negligent.

The facts of the Juan Tomás Llibre Miller case

On May 8, 2024, Juan Tomás Llibre Miller filed an appeal in amparo, In the Dominican Republic, a case was brought before the Puerto Plata court to demand the decriminalization of medical cannabis.

libre, who is also a Canadian citizen, was seeking authorization to cultivate medical cannabis himself for personal use, in particular to produce’cannabis oil. Cannabis oil is widely used in countries where medical cannabis is authorized, such that Argentina, the Canada, Uruguay, the Colombia, Puerto Rico and Chile.

On May 12, agents from the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) and the Puerto Plata Public Prosecutor's Office raided his home and found 47 cannabis plants on his terrace. With no evidence of drug trafficking, Llibre was arrested and transferred to the Puerto Plata pre-trial detention center.

Preventive detention and medical negligence claims

On May 20, the Puerto Plata Permanent Court of Attention remanded Llibre in custody for three months, despite his advanced age and multiple health problems. Llibre's family, through his lawyer, repeatedly requested medical assistance due to his critical condition, but the authorities ignored these appeals.

On June 2, Juan Tomás Llibre Miller died at the Puerto Plata prison. His family reported that 'he looked yellow and was in very poor health». Despite requests for medical attention, Llibre died of an »alleged« cardiac arrest.

Reactions and calls for reform

The tragic death of Juan Tomás Llibre Miller has prompted a strong call for the revision and reform of Law 50-88, which criminalizes the use and cultivation of medical cannabis in the Dominican Republic.

«No one should be in jail simply for using or possessing marijuana. Period,» said declared US President Joe Biden, in a global context where more and more countries are recognizing the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

In Germany, the Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach also emphasized the benefits of legalizing cannabis: «It's better for real help against addiction, for prevention among children and young people, and for the fight against the black market, for which there will soon be an alternative».

The case of Juan Tomás Llibre Miller not only highlights the lack of humanity in the treatment of prisoners, but also underlines the urgent need to review and reform the laws that criminalize the use and cultivation of medical cannabis.