Support Cannabis-friendly Candidates!

Got 4 hours and minutes to spare? Volunteer!

DC’s Primary Election Day is fast-approaching! Before you know it, Tuesday, June 14 will be here. On the following day, will we be stuck with misguided politicians like Brandon Todd, LaRuby May, and Yvette Alexander who consistently vote against the cannabis reform? Or will we elect candidates who support cannabis users, growers, and their families? THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Of course you can vote, but you can do so much more! There are thousands of DC residents reading this email and if only a fraction of you volunteer your time, we will positively change the outcome of the Primary Election and the future of the District of Columbia. Volunteering for candidates you respect is the electoral fist bump👊 and we are urging you to give it.

We are asking all members of DCMJ to volunteer at least 4 hours & 20 minutes over the next couple weeks. Specifically, we are asking you to show up at the campaign offices this Saturday, June 11 at 4:20pm 👊

We are focusing on Wards 4 & 8 because these races have incumbents that are bad for DC on cannabis reform and good candidates for replacing them. After last night’s Town Hall Forum on Marijuana, we came to the conclusion that all of the Democratic Party candidates for At-Large (Orange, White, & Garber) have solid positions on cannabis reform. It’s the Ward-level races where your support really counts right now.

You can make phone calls to voters, knock on doors, or hold space at a busy street corner with signs. But first you have to show up this & next Saturday!

Leon Andrews Campaign (Ward 4)
Phone Number: (202) 847-0595
Website: http://andrews4dc.com/volunteer.html

Trayon White Campaign (Ward 8)
Phone Number: (202) 759-3583
Website: http://www.trayonwhite8.com/volunteer

Don’t have time to volunteer? Put your money where your heart is at.  Donate $4.20, $42.00, or $420.00 these campaigns.  By choosing that amount the candidates will know the contribution came from a cannabis voter.


Click here to watch Fox 5’s coverage of the Town Hall!


A big thank you goes out to the Black Cat for hosting us, the Marijuana Policy Project & Drug Policy Action for partnering with us, Dr. Malik Burnett for moderating the Town Hall, and Councilmembers Jack Evans and Vincent Orange, as well as Leon Andrews and David Garber for joining us last night! We look forward to having a second Town Hall in October before the general election!
Photo from the Town Hall on Marijuana at the Black Cat

PRESS RELEASE: DC Cannabis Campaign Declares Victory in Historic Ballot Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 4, 2014

CONTACT: ZACK PESAVENTO
(202) 420-1065
ZACK@DCMJ.ORG

DC Cannabis Campaign Declares Victory in Historic Ballot Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC – The DC Cannabis Campaign declared victory today on Ballot Initiative 71, which legalizes the limited possession and cultivation of marijuana. Supporters of the “Yes on 71” campaign gathered at Meridian Pint, a popular local restaurant, to welcome the election night results and prepare for the bill’s mandatory congressional review period.

“This victory is dedicated to everyone still sitting in jail tonight because of marijuana prohibition.” said Adam Eidinger, the Chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign who also formally proposed Initiative 71. “District residents have made their voices heard loud and clear. The road to justice won’t end on Capitol Hill.”

Hundreds of supporters convened at Meridian Pint, located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, to celebrate the passage of Ballot Initiative 71. District lawmakers have vowed to transmit the bill to Congress when it reconvenes in January. Following a mandatory 30-day review period, the bill’s provisions could go into effect as soon as March 2015.

The measure allows adults over the age of 21 to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, give (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to other adults, and cultivate up to three mature marijuana plants at home. The District Council is proceeding with its own separate legislative proposal to tax and regulate the sale of marijuana. Supporters of Ballot Initiative 71 spoke in favor of the DC Council’s legislation at a joint public hearing on October 30.

“The people of the District of Columbia have voted in favor of ending racially biased marijuana prohibition,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, the Vice Chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign. “The harms caused by the war on drugs are not fixed with this vote alone; the real healing begins when the DC Council develops a tax-and-regulate system based on racial and social justice.”

The DC Cannabis Campaign is the official campaign committee for Ballot Initiative 71. The campaign is a project of residents from across the District of Columbia, Drug Policy Action, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.

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PRESS RELEASE: DC Marijuana Initiative Supporters Announce Election Night Party

PRESS ADVISORY
8:00pm–11:30pm EST, Tuesday, November 4, 2014

CONTACT: ZACK PESAVENTO
(202) 420-1065
ZACK@DCMJ.ORG

DC Marijuana Initiative Supporters Announce Election Night Party

Proponents of Ballot Initiative 71, which legalizes the cultivation and possession of limited amounts of marijuana in the District of Columbia, will hold an election night party and fundraiser to benefit the DC Central Kitchen. Starting at 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 4, supporters of the “Yes on 71” campaign will gather at Meridian Pint to watch the election results.

Ballot Initiative 71 allows adults over the age of 21 to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, give (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to other adults, and cultivate up to three mature marijuana plants at home. If successful, the bill will be transmitted to Congress for a mandatory review period after lawmakers convene again in January. Without interference, the bill’s provisions could go into effect as soon as April 2015.

WHO: Adam Eidinger, chair, DC Cannabis Campaign; Dr. Malik Burnett, vice-chair, DC Cannabis Campaign; Supporters of Ballot Initiative 71

WHAT: Election Night Fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen

WHERE: Meridian Pint, 3400 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20010

WHEN: Tuesday, November 4 from 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM EST

The DC Cannabis Campaign, Metropolitan Wellness Center, Drug Policy Alliance, Students For Sensible Drug Policy, DC Brau, DC Central Kitchen, Capital City Hydroponics, E.F.F.O.R.T.S. (Employment For Former Offenders Receiving Treatment Services) and Meridian Pint are partnering to support the election night fundraiser. Attendees will be encouraged to make a donation to DC Central Kitchen or bring a canned food item.

The DC Cannabis Campaign is the official campaign committee for Ballot Initiative 71. The campaign is a project of residents from across the District of Columbia, Drug Policy Action, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.

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PRESS RELEASE: DC Cannabis Campaign Dismisses Obstruction Rumors on Initiative 71

PRESS RELEASE
October 20, 2014

CONTACT: ZACK PESAVENTO
(202) 420-1065
ZACK@DCMJ.ORG

DC Cannabis Campaign Dismisses
Obstruction Rumors on Initiative 71

Joint Public Hearing on October 30 to
Consider Complementary ‘Tax and Regulate’ Bill

WASHINGTON, DC — Supporters of Ballot Initiative 71 will speak at a Joint Public Hearing at the John A. Wilson Building on October 30 that is set to discuss a separate legislative proposal known as the “Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2014”. Although Ballot Initiative 71 would legalize the cultivation and possession of limited amounts of marijuana in the District of Columbia, it does not address the sale of marijuana due to existing restrictions on ballot measures. Advocates for the “Yes on 71” campaign will push back against reports that the DC Council might supplant the ballot initiative with its own legislation.

“There’s a natural complementarity to the two measures,” said Adam Eidinger, the chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign. “The ballot initiative will provide relief for private residents who continue to face fines and arrests under the current decriminalization regime, while the District Council’s legislation pursues the more complex task of taxing and regulating private businesses.”

A survey of likely voters in September showed 65% support for Ballot Initiative 71. The ballot initiative is subject to a 60-day congressional review period because it amends criminal law. The review period will need to begin once the 114th Congress is in session because the 113th Congress will not have enough time to satisfy the 60-day requirement following the November 4 election. If Congress does nothing, Ballot Initiative 71’s provisions will go into effect once the 60-day review period expires some time in the spring.

DC Cannabis Campaign officials are optimistic about the future of Ballot Initiative 71 following recent meetings with DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.

“We expect the District Council to respect the will of the voters who want real marijuana reform,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, the vice chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign and D.C. Policy Manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. ”We feel confident that Ballot Initiative 71 will get a fair shot to pass unimpeded through Congress just like any other bill. Without interference, we could really see a sensible legalization policy go into effect this spring.”

The DC Cannabis Campaign is concerned that people of color continue to face disparities in the enforcement of penalties under the decriminalization law that went into effect on July 17. A Drug Policy Alliance review of records from the Metropolitan Police Department found that 77% of marijuana-related tickets have been issued in neighborhoods that are predominately home to people of color. White marijuana dealers were also found to be 20 times less likely to be arrested than black dealers in 2011 — the highest racial disparity of its kind in the nation.

Ballot Initiative 71 allows adults over the age of 21 to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, give (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to other adults, and cultivate up to three mature marijuana plants at home.

The “Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2014” would establish a regulatory structure that permits private businesses to cultivate and sell marijuana and marijuana-based products to adults in the District of Columbia. The legislation, which was introduced by Councilmember David Grosso, also creates a special fund to collect marijuana-related revenues for dedicated expenditures.

The District of Columbia’s Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs and the Committee on Finance and Revenue will hold a Joint Public Hearing at 11:00am EST on October 30 in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The DC Cannabis Campaign is the official campaign committee for Ballot Initiative 71. The campaign is a project of residents from across the District of Columbia, Drug Policy Action, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.

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PRESS RELEASE: Ballot Initiative 71 Qualifies for November General Election Ballot

PRESS RELEASE
August 6, 2014

CONTACT: DR. MALIK BURNETT
(443) 821-0260 MBURNETT@DRUGPOLICY.ORG
TONY NEWMAN (646) 335-5384
TNEWMAN@DRUGPOLICY.ORG

Ballot Initiative 71 Qualifies for November General Election Ballot

LEGALIZATION ENDS DISCRIMINATION: YES On 71

First Jurisdiction to Legalize Marijuana in a Racial Justice context

WASHINGTON, DC — Today the D.C. Board of Elections ruled that Ballot Initiative 71 has enough valid signatures to qualify for November’s general election ballot. One month ago, the DC Cannabis Campaign submitted over 57,000 signatures from registered voters and needed 23,780 signatures to qualify.

The citizens of the District of Columbia hope to follow in the steps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing marijuana and polls show the issue is popular among District residents, with support above 60 percent. DC currently has the highest per capita marijuana arrest rates in the U.S. In 2010 black people in the District accounted for 91 percent of all marijuana arrests – even though black and white people use marijuana at roughly similar rates.

Ballot Initiative 71 allows adults over the age of 21 to possess up to two ounces of marijuana on their person at any time, allows adults to give (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to other adults, and allows for the cultivation of up to three mature marijuana plants at home. District law prevents ballot initiatives from addressing the sale of marijuana. However, the DC Council is currently considering a bill that will tax and regulate marijuana within the District.

The ballot initiative builds on the work of the DC Council, which decriminalized marijuana this past spring. However, as data from numerous jurisdictions around the country indicate, decriminalization alone is not enough to change police practices. Colorado and Washington have seen precipitous declines in marijuana arrests since enacting legalization initiatives in 2012, saving these states millions in tax dollars, and, more importantly, eliminating the collateral consequences associated with arrests for marijuana possession.

“It is clear from the number of signatures the campaign was able to submit that the citizens of the district would like to have a say in reforming the marijuana laws of the District,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, Vice-Chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign and the DC Policy Manager for Drug Policy Action. “The policies of prohibition in the District have been borne on the backs of black and brown men for decades, by voting YES on 71, District residents can put an end to this failed policy.”

The announcement of legalization efforts come just two weeks after the implementation of DC’s decriminalization law, where preliminary data show that 77% of all tickets have been issued in communities of color. “It is great that we have decriminalized marijuana in the District of Columbia,” said Adam Eidinger, Chair of DC Cannabis Campaign, “Unfortunately, if we are going replace arrests with tickets, discrimination will continue, but voting YES on 71 eliminates the tickets and brings discrimination to an end.”

The DC Cannabis Campaign is the official campaign committee for Ballot Initiative 71. The campaign is a project of residents from across DC, the Drug Policy Action, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.

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Press Release: DC Cannabis Campaign Collects Over 57,000 Signatures to Place Initiative #71 on General Election Ballot

PRESS RELEASE
June 30, 2014

CONTACT: DR. MALIK BURNETT
(443) 821-0260 MBURNETT@DRUGPOLICY.ORG
ADAM EIDINGER (202)744-2671
ADAM@DCMJ.ORG

DC Cannabis Campaign Collects Over 57,000 Signatures to Place Initiative #71
on General Election Ballot

Members of Congress May Take Away
DC Voter’s Right to Vote on Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC — In less than 75 days, the DC Cannabis Campaign has collected more than twice the number signatures required to place Initiative 71 on November’s General Election ballot. However, the Campaign is alarmed that members of Congress may prevent District voters from being able to vote on the ballot initiative due to policy riders that were added to the District of Columbia’s 2015 appropriation budget.

“We are proud of our petition circulators who braved the heat to further democracy in the District of Columbia,” said Campaign chairman Adam Eidinger, “but I am very concerned that members of Congress will use their power to stop District of Columbia voters from being able to fully participate in the democratic process. We deserve the right to vote on Initiative 71.”

With the citizens of Colorado and Washington state voting to legalize marijuana in 2012, the Campaign believes that voters of the District of Columbia should be afforded the same right to vote on marijuana legalization. The appropriations rider introduced by Congressman Andy Harris (R, MD-1) on June 25, 2014 could prevent the District of Columbia Board of Elections from using its funds to print the ballots that include Initiative #71. Worse, the policy rider may impede the District of Columbia’s decriminalization of marijuana law set to take effect mid-July and prevent any changes to the District’s medical marijuana program.

“Petition circulators are the unsung heroes of democracy across America,” says Eidinger. Throughout the last two months the Campaign enlisted over 250 volunteer and paid petition circulators to canvass the District of Columbia. Proposers of ballot initiatives in the District of Columbia are allowed 180 days to circulate petitions, but in order for Initiative #71 to qualify for November’s general election ballot, the Campaign was afforded only 76 days to circulate petitions.

After the circulating petitions are submitted to the DC Board of Elections on Monday, July 7, they will be reviewed by the agency’s staff to ensure the Campaign collected at least 22,373 valid signatures from registered DC voters. Once certified by the Board of Elections, and as long as the Congressional policy riders are removed, District of Columbia voters will have the opportunity to approve or reject the Initiative #71 on November 4, 2014.

“The decision of House Republicans in the Appropriations Committee to prevent the ballot initiative from going forward is an affront to the core of Republican belief against big government interfering in the lives of citizens,” says Dr. Malik Burnett, the DC Policy Manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. “By attempting to keep in place the criminal penalties for possession of marijuana, Congress is saying that they want more people of color to go to jail.”

The District of Columbia has the highest per capita, marijuana arrest rates for people of color in America. Although studies show that both white and black people of the District of Columbia use marijuana equally, people of color are disproportionately arrested and subject to all the collateral consequences a criminal record creates. The aim of the Campaign’s ballot initiative is to expand freedoms to District citizens and to help end the discrimination affecting all marijuana users.

The Campaign will submit over 57,000 signatures at 10am on Monday, July 7 at the DC Board of Elections, 441 4th St. NW, Room 250N. Members of the Campaign will be available for interview at the Board of Elections. The campaign will be honoring its petition circulators from 7pm to 10pm on Tuesday, July 1 at Patty Boom Boom, located at 1359 U Street NW. The text of the ballot initiative can be found at http://www.DCMJ.org/ballot-initiative/

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