10 of the Harshest Sentences for Pot in the U.S. The punishments for pot do not fit the crime. AlterNet / By Kristen Gwynne October 26, 2012 ttp://www.alternet.org/drugs/10-harshest-sentences-pot-us?page=0%2C0 Most Americans want pot to be legal, and as many as 70% of Americans want to legalize it for medical use. Nonetheless, the war on pot rages on. The Obama administration has actually increased raids on state-sanctioned medical pot programs, prosecuting both patients and their providers. Medical pot defendants have little protection in the justice system, which denies as evidence mention of their marijuana prescription or state-sanctioned use. A review of some of the sentences over the past few decades -- punishments that plague individuals for decades, even after release -- reveals the injustice of the drug war. Here's a rundown of the people who received the harshest penalties handed down for pot in recent history. 1. Christopher Williams A Montana medical marijuana provider is facing 82 to 85 years behind bars, due to mandatory minimum laws linked to some of his charges. Convicted of crimes like manufacturing marijuana, intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, Christopher Williams appeared to be in the for the worst. But in a rare move this September, U.S. Attorney Michael Cotter offered to drop four of Williams? charges and bring his sentencing down to ?as little as 10 years,? so long as Williams waived his right to appeal. Williams refused the offer on moral grounds. The case isn?t about medical