Jason Ortiz

Jason Ortiz is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a national, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to reforming the American criminal justice system through progressive drug policy. Arrested for cannabis possession at the age of 16, Ortiz has used that experience to inspire him to become a cannabis justice advocate.

Priot to LLP, Ortiz was Executive Director at Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), where he pushed federal drug reform by leading an act of civil disobedience at the White House that demanded pardons for those in federal prison for cannabis crimes. He also mobilized a National Federal Lobby Day in Washington, DC advocating for cannabis prisoner release and increased accessibility to psychedelic research, and pushed the Department of Education to allow harm reduction on college campuses. In addition to participating in both of these events, Ortiz worked with the Last Prisoner Project to successfully pass prisoner release legislation (HB6787) through the Connecticut House of Representatives.

A University of Connecticut graduate, Ortiz was a founder and president of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, where he led efforts to create model cannabis equity policies at the state and municipal levels.

In addition to his drug policy activism, Ortiz has experience organizing on numerous issues, including his role as Director of Campaigns with Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation, where he worked to end capital punishment. He also served on the National Puerto Rican Agenda, where he helped with Hurricane Maria relief efforts and continues to address issues of economic justice for his home island. He has led over a dozen races for elected office as campaign manager and political consultant, sits on the board of the Connecticut Working Families Party, and served as Executive Assistant to Minority Leader Wildaliz Bermudez of the Hartford Connecticut Court of Common Council.