INVITE: July 420 Zoom Sesh (7/14/2021)

See you at the July 420 Zoom Sesh!

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the July 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register (required!). You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org

Memorial Day Cookout


We are hosting our first in-person social gathering since the pandemic began! We understand that it has been a long time since we have been able to all get together, so this Memorial Day we will host a cookout at Lincoln Park, SE DC. A limited supply of food will be provided by Uneeda’s catering service, DC Sweet Sensations. We are also kindly asking people to bring a dish or snacks to share, as we expect there to be a big turnout. There will be live music, so feel free to put your dancing shoes on or bring a blanket and kick back with a glass of lemonade! See you there! Click here to RSVP on Facebook!

INVITE: June 420 Zoom Sesh (6/9/2021)

See you at the June 420 Zoom Sesh!

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the June 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register (required!). You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org

INVITE: May 420 Zoom Sesh (5/12/2021)

Let's talk about the 51 foot joint at the May 420 Zoom Sesh

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the May 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register. You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org

Joints For Jabs

Joints For Jabs was a HUGE success! THANK YOU!

On 4/20/2021 over 85 DCMJ volunteers stationed at 30 vaccination sites across the District of Columbia gave away over 8 pounds of DC-grown cannabis rolled up into over 4,200 joints!

As of 4:20pm on 4/20/2021, we are completely OUT of cannabis!




From free joints at dispensaries to free bags of weed outside vaccination centers, across the United States cannabis reform advocates are stepping up to organize their own cannabis giveaways to help end the coronavirus pandemic. DC Marijuana Justice believes that cannabis can help heal the nation and strongly believes that you can help do your part in ending the pandemic by getting vaccinated and assisting others in getting vaccinated. DCMJ’s Joints For Jabs will be taking place at vaccination sites across the District of Columbia on Tuesday, April 20.


TAKE ACTION!

Later this year the DC Council will be voting on NEW cannabis reform legislation. We need your help to make it work for EVERYONE. Not just deep-pocketed cannabis businesses, but ALL DC residents!

We are demanding the cannabis reform legislation embrace true MARIJUANA JUSTICE!

How?

STOP OVER-POLICING DC! After Initiative 71 became law, the DC police continued to over-police neighborhoods of black, brown, and indigenous people of color (BIPOC). We are calling for an END to this practice. We believe legalization should end discrimination, not more police involvement in our communities. We believe that ALL criminal penalties associated with cannabis should be replaced with civil penalties, like warnings and fines, not arrests and jail.

SAY NO TO ANY CHANGES TO INITIATIVE 71! Mayor Bowser’s “Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021” still keeps criminal penalties in place. In fact, it makes some aspects of Initiative 71 illegal! The Mayor wants to criminalize the amount of cannabis you can legally keep at home and make giving away cannabis at demonstrations illegal. Under the Mayor’s proposed legislation, the joint you received at Joints For Jabs would be considered an “unlawful transaction.” Worse, the Mayor’s bill will make it illegal to have more than 10 ounces of cannabis at home, even when one cannabis plant can weigh more than 10X that! Tell the DC Council that any adult should be able to give another adult cannabis for whatever reason. No one cares about how much wine you have at home, so why should cannabis be any different?

LEGALIZE CASUAL SALES! Have some extra cannabis that you grew and your buddy wants to buy some? You should be allowed to sell up to $599 a year in cannabis without penalties. No one cares if you sell some of your extra veggies from your garden to your neighbor, so why should cannabis be any different?  Independent contractors can earn up to $599 a year without paying taxes on their income and we believe this should apply to casual sales of cannabis.

ALLOW COOPERATIVE GROWS! Some adults cannot grow cannabis in their homes due to provisions on their lease. Other adults who live alone are limited in the number of plants they can grow at home (6 plants total). A cooperative grow would allow consenting adults to legally increase their plant count by allowing adults to grow their plants at someone else’s home.

DEMAND ON-SITE CONSUMPTION! Smoking not allowed in your building? Where are you supposed to consume your cannabis? In Amsterdam they have coffeeshops that allow on-site consumption. Not everyone likes to drink alcohol, but cannabis cannot be consumed at any DC bar. In DC there is no legal place to consume cannabis except at private residences. In New York, cannabis can be consumed at any place where cigarettes can be smoked, including sidewalks. Why not DC?

EXPAND FARMERS MARKETS! We can buy locally made beer and liquor at farmers markets, why not locally grown cannabis? There is no good reason why DC cannabis growers should not be able to sell their extra cannabis at DC’s farmers markets. Tell the DC Council that Farmers Markets need to be opened up to local cannabis growers!

Your input is NEEDED!

CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW!

WARD NAME E-MAIL PHONE NUMBER
1 Brianne Nadeau bnadeau@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8181
2 Brooke Pinto bpinto@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8181
3 Mary Cheh mcheh@dccouncil.us (202)-724-8062
4 Janeese Lewis George jlewisgeorge@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8052
5 Kenyan McDuffie kmcduffie@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8028
6 Charles Allen callen@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8072
7 Vincent Gray vgray@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8068
8 Trayon White, Sr. twhite@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8045
At-Large Anita Bonds abonds@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8064
At-Large Elissa Silverman esilverman@dccouncil.us (202) 724-7772
At-Large Robert C. White, Jr. rwhite@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8174
At-Large Christina Henderson chenderson@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8105
Chairman Phil Mendelson pmendelson@dccouncil.us (202) 724-8032

Every DC resident is represented by one Ward Councilmember, four At-Large Councilmembers, and the Chairman. You should contact ALL SIX!  Not sure which Ward you live in? Click here to find out.

Stay involved with DCMJ by signing up for our email list.

 


Normally we would publish the full list of vaccination sites, but in order to prevent crowding, we’ve decided to not list them. We encourage everyone to visit the site they got their first shot at and check to see if there are DCMJ volunteers stationed outside!


Read DCMJ’s Joints For Jabs Press Release (1/11/2021)


DCMJ Statement on White House Firings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2021

CONTACT:
ADAM EIDINGER (202) 744-2671
Adam@DCMJ.org
KEN BAZINET (202) 660-2449
Ken@CollectiveConsulting.net

***Statement to the News Media***

White House Firings for past Cannabis Use are an Outrage

DCMJ Urges President Biden to Rethink Position on Cannabis Administration is Sending Wrong Message to Americans

Statement from Adam Eidinger, co-founder of District of Columbia Marijuana Justice (DCMJ), in response to the White House firing staffers for past cannabis use:

“We were outraged to learn that the White House is using past cannabis use as a cause for dismissal of staffers. It would be an understatement to call reports of these dismissals arbitrary. We are quite certain that the White House does not fire staffers for use of alcohol, a scientifically proven deadly and harmful substance. We’re confident there is even alcohol stored away in the White House, and not just in the residence. The White House is clearly ignoring that voters in the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis, and that nearby Virginia and Maryland allow for medical use of cannabis. If the White House wants the best and brightest working there on behalf of the American people, it needs to tolerate all viewpoints and lifestyle choices, including the legal use of cannabis.

By taking these punitive actions, the White House is informally asking current and future applicants to lie. Lies are the enemy of democracy. If applicants know that being honest about past or current lawful cannabis use will prevent them from working at the White House, then they have no recourse but to lie about their current or past cannabis use. This is bad public policy and President Biden should understand that the destructive and failed War on Drugs does nothing but hurt the American people, especially people of color.

We expected that President Biden would evolve from this twisted 20th century view of cannabis use and adopt the positions that an overwhelming majority of Americans have embraced. From ending the use of cannabis laws in the abhorrent practice of racial profiling, to clearing the way for conclusive research into all the medical applications for cannabis, to keeping the government from intruding further into private lives, the majority of Americans want an end now to cannabis prohibition.

We want to see this administration succeed in righting many wrongs. We’ve even tried to be helpful. Our upcoming ‘Joints For Jabs’ cannabis giveaway is in direct response to the administration’s ‘Go Big’ effort to get Americans vaccinated against COVID-19. We are quite confident the message behind ‘Joints for Jabs’ is reaching a significant portion of supporters and non-supporters of the president.

This White House needs to think about finding a new place for itself in the legalization movement and avoid an unnecessary confrontation with a key bloc in the Democrats’ political base. With these firings, the administration is sending out a dangerous message in this era of cannabis enlightenment that is going to force a meaningful reaction by those threatened by the actions of this White House.

We call upon President Biden to use his executive power to de-schedule cannabis immediately. There are millions of Americans living in states with legal cannabis that should not be excluded from working in the White House, or a job of any kind in public service. If you need advice on how to truly embrace ‘Marijuana Justice,’ we urge you to consult your vice president, who as a senator introduced the Marijuana Justice Act.”


ABOUT DC MARIJUANA JUSTICE

Since its founding in 2013, DCMJ has led the nation in creative and high-profile cannabis reform activism. After introducing and passing DC’s Initiative 71 in 2014, which voters legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis, DCMJ organized three large seed giveaways that provided all adults & Congressional staffers the means to grow cannabis for themselves, deployed giant 51’ inflatable joints outside the Capitol, the White House, the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Times Square in New York City, the 2016 Presidential Debates, Annapolis Statehouse and Boston’s Freedom Rally, as well as distributing over 10,000 joints of District of Columbia homegrown cannabis at the Inauguration of President Donald Trump, and attempting to distribute 1,227 joints at the congressional “Joint Session” in 2017, where U.S. Capitol Police unlawfully arrested seven DCMJ activists (All charges were dropped the following day). DCMJ will distribute 5,000 joints at vaccination sites across the District of Columbia on April 20, 2021 in conjunction with its upcoming “Joints For Jabs” cannabis giveaway. In 2018, 2019, and 2021, aligned organizations MDMJ, VAMJ , COMJ, and NYMJ were formed to advocate for cannabis reform in Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, and New York. DCMJ demands cannabis be removed from the Controlled Substances Act and all Americans are given the right to grow cannabis in the safety and privacy of their homes.

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Click here to download a PDF of this press release

INVITE: April 420 Zoom Sesh (4/14/2021)

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the April 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register. You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org

Legislative Memo Concerning DC’s Proposed Tax & Regulate Legislation

Dear Councilmembers,

Thank you for agreeing to have your staff meet with us concerning the “Comprehensive Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Act of 2021.” We have waited for 6 years to address many of the important issues contained in this legislation and during that time we’ve had the opportunity to solicit feedback from DC’s cannabis users, growers, and their families. While we are generally supportive of this important piece of legislation, we do have some concerns that we will be sharing with your staff. Overall, we do not want any of the freedoms enshrined in Initiative 71 to be reduced or altered in significant or possibly detrimental ways, and more importantly, we urge the DC Council to support the existing cottage industry in the District of Columbia before allowing multi-state operators, with billions of capital, to make further inroads.

1. While not contained in this legislation, the Mayor’s “Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021” contains a provision we find reprehensible. We feel it is important to start with this problematic component of the Mayor’s legislation before addressing the Council’s legislation in order for it not to be added at a later date. Namely, the provision that allows adults to possess no more than 10 ounces of cannabis at home. This provision is not acceptable and we are thankful that the Council’s legislation does not contain this onerous section. An adult who grows cannabis at home could violate this provision with one plant and we fear that its potential inclusion would result in more home raids and arrests. It shows that the Mayor’s legislation was written without serious consultation with any member of DC’s cannabis community because if only one DC resident homegrower had been given a chance to comment they would have said “This is not workable,” and we believe it is in the best interest to make this legislation work for everyone.

Initiative 71 permits adults to keep all of the cannabis they have grown at home and we are not aware of any safety issues that have arisen from this home cultivation provision, but we do believe a lack of access to the marketplace is a problem. A better gauge is to compare the limits adults currently have when it comes to the possession of beer, wine, and liquor at home. Currently we are not aware of limits that DC-based home brewers might have with respect to the amount beer they can produce for personal consumption without fear of their home being raided. Why should cannabis growers be any different?

2. We are suggesting that the Council legalize “casual sales.” If a DC resident was to end up with more cannabis than they need for personal use, we need to offer them a legal outlet to sell their extra home grown cannabis to other adults as this is a direct way to provide equity for the cannabis community that has been historically oppressed. A DC resident homegrower will pay for electricity, water, soil, rent, and nutrients to grow a plant and under Initiative 71 they can give that cannabis away without remuneration (payment for goods or services). But why should we criminalize a home grower selling some of their extra cannabis to their neighbor? We don’t care if a neighbor sells their extra tomatoes to a neighbor, or extra bottles of home made wine so why not cannabis? We don’t care if a home brewer sells their neighbor a 6-pack of their beer either. These types of casual sales are of no concern to police, so why should they be a concern when it comes to small amounts of cannabis?

We are aware that some growers are selling their extra cannabis for supplemental income. With only 12 plants, a home grower cannot make this into a fully sustaining business. But some do sell their extra cannabis to pay for rent, electricity, water, soil, and nutrients that went into the production of the cannabis. We feel casual sales should not remain criminalized as there is no compelling public interest to do so if a ultra-micro license is created. How much casual sales one can make before they need to collect sales tax and require a license?

We suggest $599 in “casual sales” to be the threshold for sales tax. At $600 the grower is really an independent contractor in the cottage industry, so like a normal small business they are still required to report income and pay taxes on perhaps up to $30,000 in sales or perhaps even more. We feel this is a relatively small amount of “casual sales” that would allow the home grower to recoup their expenses and generate supplemental income that could make the difference for someone living in poverty or not, or being able to make ever higher property tax payments on a family home in a gentrifying area.

3. We believe there needs to be more licenses offered and they have a lower price tag. The barrier to entry for many adults will be the cost to obtain the license. The microbusiness license permits a grower to utilize 1,500 square feet of space. We feel this “micro” license should be considered “small” and what we consider an “ultra-micro” should be added in its place as the “microbusiness” license. Thus there would be a “small business” license and a “microbusiness” license be offered. The revised “microbusiness” license should be for home growers to be able to sell more than $600 of cannabis and grow more plants at home. The proposed “microbusiness” license requires the licensee to rent a properly zoned space for the cultivation of cannabis to comply with the licensee requirements. We anticipate this type of zoned space to become more expensive as more licenses become available. This will cause the overhead cost to produce the cannabis to increase and lower and possibly eliminate the profit margins of these “micro” businesses. Thus it’s important that the existing cottage industry remains within the homes of DC growers. The only difference between the current system of home cultivation and a true “microbusiness” licensee is the allowance to grow more plants and sell small amounts directly to consumers through casual sales. We believe the new “microbusiness” license should be $100 and allow growers to grow 30 plants, which is a little more than two times the number of plants that are permitted under Initiative 71. While the “small business” license should be $500 and allow growers to utilize up to 1,500 square feet of space and grow an unlimited amount of cannabis and pay taxes on everything above $600 in sales. The new “microbusiness” licensees would not be required to sell their small amounts of cannabis to distributors, but the “small business” licensees would be required to do so. Both the “micro” and “small” business licensees should have access to the farmers markets.

4. The expansion of licenses should mirror those which are offered for businesses who sell alcohol. For example, there are licenses to allow bed & breakfasts to serve alcohol to their guests, so why not a similar $650 license for cannabis establishments? If alcohol can be sold at farmers markets, then why not allow “small business” or “microbusiness” licensees to sell their cannabis at farmers markets as well? There are so many examples of licenses for alcohol that are currently available, it doesn’t make sense to limit the number of licenses available for cannabis businesses to so few in number and type. Nearly all the existing alcohol licenses address what this legislation fails to address: the need for on-site consumption licenses.

There are thousands of adults who are prohibited from consuming cannabis in their homes and this legislation does not address this important need. DCMJ worked with Congresswoman Norton in 2018 to help introduce the “Sondra Battle Cannabis Fair Use Act,” which would permit adults to consume cannabis in public housing in states where medical and adult-use cannabis has been legalized. While this legislation has been incorporated into the MORE Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives last December, it shows the need for adults to have a safe place to consume cannabis outside of their homes. We believe there needs to be no less than 5 of these licenses per ward. An adult should not be required to travel across town to be able to legally consume their cannabis outside their home.

Unless the Council of District of Columbia amends the decriminalization of cannabis statute, which prohibits the use of cannabis in public spaces, this legislation is incomplete. Like cannabis, tobacco requires adults to be 21 years of age to purchase or consume. Tobacco is not allowed to be smoked in public housing either, but there is space afforded to smokers at public housing. We believe that adults should be able to consume cannabis at any place an adult can consume tobacco. This parity will make it easier to enforce the law. Right now there are places in DC where tobacco can be consumed indoors and we believe there should be a license available for cannabis as well. New York’s recent cannabis reform legislation permits cannabis to be consumed at any place tobacco is permitted, including sidewalks, but not in public parks.

5. With a large segment of the population unable to legally grow cannabis at home, there needs to be a license for cooperative growing sites. We believe this would be a great use of the “small business” or “microbusiness” license. For example, if 10 adults pooled their resources they could rent a space where they could each have 150 square feet grow their own cannabis for non-commercial use. There is an intrinsic difference between these cooperative growing licenses that are non-commercial and those that are commercial and this legislation needs to make a distinction between the two. For example, if a friend who lives alone has an extra room at their house, I could grow my 6 plants there alongside their 6 plants under a cooperative grow license. Under Initiative 71, the person who lives alone and is growing these 12 plants would be breaking the law, but if there was a means for them to obtain a cooperative grow license they would be within the scope of the law. This license would allow the homeowner of the cooperative to charge a small fee for electricity and help them supplement their income by providing a small space in their homes. There are already growers in DC who do this in violation of the law and it shows the need for another type of license “microbusiness” license.

6. Finally, both this legislation and Mayor’s proposed legislation contain a prohibition on giving away cannabis to those engaged in advocacy. This prohibition is included in a section that addresses some of the existing ways people currently sell cannabis. Namely, buy this thing and get this cannabis for free or join this group and get cannabis for free. But come to this demonstration and get cannabis for free is entirely different. DCMJ has lead numerous advocacy-related demonstrations where cannabis was used as means to further the goals of reforming cannabis laws. For example, next month we plan on giving away joints outside of vaccination centers. Dubbed “Joints For Jabs,” this form of advocacy encourages adults to get vaccinated and to voluntarily call their elected officials to pass this law. At no point is there any money being requested in order to receive the cannabis. Since this form of advocacy carries no inherent value other than promoting reform, the portion dealing with advocacy must be removed. There is no sales component with respect to free speech activities and we question the constitutionality of this prohibition. If there is any money exchanged in relation to the advocacy, then we agree that this section would constitute an illegal sale, but there needs to be better clarity. If this section is strictly about the exchange of money for anything, including advocacy, for cannabis, then its an illegal sale. But if we are to permit casual sales, then there needs to be a limit on what constitutes an illegal sale. In 2017, we gave away over 10,000 joints at Donald Trump’s inauguration in order to advocate that cannabis reform is a non-partisan issue. There was no money that exchanged hands, just free joints containing cannabis grown at home by DC residents given to adults for advocating for the change of unjust laws. This type of advocacy is not a backdoor to allowing illicit cannabis sales and must be removed to protect free speech rights.
We look forward to working with you on this important legislation. We understand the Harris Rider remains in effect and this legislation will not receive a final vote until later this year. Therefore, we believe there is ample time to expand this legislation and make into something that reflects the values and needs of the cannabis community in the District of Columbia.

Sincerely,
Adam Eidinger, Proposer of Initiative 71, Co-Founder of DC Marijuana Justice
Nikolas Schiller, Co-Founder of DC Marijuana Justice

INVITE: March 420 Zoom Sesh (3/10/2021)

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the March 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register. You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org

INVITE: February 420 Zoom Sesh (2/10/2021)

Throughout 2021 DCMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings called the “420 Zoom Sesh.” Our next 420 Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 4:19pm on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the February 420 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register. You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 420 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email 420ZoomSesh@DCMJ.org