Dana Beal, longtime marijuana activist, serving months-long prison sentence in Idaho

Photo via @danabealofficial 

Dana Beal, a longtime marijuana activist with strong ties to the East Village, is currently serving a four-month prison sentence in Idaho. 

Beal, 79, is being held at the Idaho State Correctional Institution in Boise, according to public records. 

Per a report by Idaho TV station KTVB, Beal entered a guilty plea in Gooding County in December to two amended charges related to marijuana trafficking stemming from a January 2024 traffic stop. 

Published reports say the plea resulted in fines totaling thousands of dollars. He could have faced up to five years in the state penitentiary for each charge. 

An Idaho judge sentenced Beal to six months in prison, plus nine and a half years of parole in NYC, on Feb. 24. Given time already served in January and February 2024, Beal has four months and six days left on his sentence and is expected to return to NYC in July. The Idaho Department of Correction lists him as eligible for parole on June 30. 

On Jan. 25, 2024, authorities stated that Idaho State Police stopped the vehicle Beal was in and later found 56 pounds of raw marijuana, along with other substances, in the SUV. 

Beal has been a leading cannabis advocate for decades and is recognized for organizing the Global Marijuana March and pushing for drug policy reform as "the Father of Modern Marijuana Legalization" and "Pioneer Activist for Ibogaine." 

He has long been associated with cannabis activism in New York and has been a familiar presence at rallies and marches around the East Village for decades. He organized "Smoke-Ins" in Tompkins Square Park, starting in June 1967. (This article has more about Beal and his work with the Yippies.)

2015 photo from Union Square by Stacie Joy 

During court proceedings this past December, Beal said he had been attempting to transport cannabis as medicine intended for people suffering from traumatic brain injuries. He also said he had recently returned from Ukraine, where he was assisting troops with pain relief. 

The case highlights the continuing patchwork of marijuana laws across the United States. While cannabis is legal or decriminalized in some states, Idaho maintains strict prohibitions.