The U.S. Department of Justice, the Attorney General of the United States, and the DOJ Office of the Inspector General
Pam Bondi, Attorney General of the United States, US Department of Justice, DOJ Office of the Inspector General, US Attorney's Office of the District of Nebraska, House Judiciary Committee
President Trump has said it:
The war on drugs was a mistake.
Joe Rogan has said it too:
Locking people up over cannabis is insane.
And yet, in 2026, Max Leidermann is sitting in federal jail — without bond — for nearly three years, over non-violent cannabis charges.
Max is:
- A 51-year-old first-time offender
- Presumed innocent
- Still waiting for trial
He has never been convicted of a violent crime.
He has not been found guilty of anything.
And yet, he remains behind bars.
This is not justice.
This is punishment before trial.
We are asking for Max Leidermann to be released pending trial.
If the war on drugs was a mistake —
it’s time to stop letting people pay for it.
Petition by
To:
Pam Bondi, Attorney General of the United States, US Department of Justice, DOJ Office of the Inspector General, US Attorney's Office of the District of Nebraska, House Judiciary Committee
From:
[Your Name]
I am writing to demand immediate review and relief in the federal case of Max Leidermann.
Mr. Leidermann is a 51-year-old first-time offender charged with non-violent cannabis offenses who has now been held in federal custody for nearly three years without trial. He has not been convicted of any crime, yet he remains detained following a judicial release decision that was later reversed.
This is not a matter of public safety. It is a matter of prolonged, punitive pretrial detention.
At a time when the federal government has publicly acknowledged the failures of the war on drugs and is moving to reschedule marijuana, the continued incarceration of a non-violent, presumed innocent defendant raises serious concerns about due process, proportionality, and government overreach.
Detaining an individual for years without a conviction, particularly in a non-violent cannabis case, undermines the fundamental principles of the justice system and erodes public trust.
I urge your office to take immediate action to review this case, address the use of extended pretrial detention as a form of punishment, and ensure Mr. Leidermann’s release pending trial.
If the war on drugs was a mistake, it should not continue to cost people years of their lives before they have even had their day in court.