Jaywalk to the DNC

Jaywalk to the DNC

Join us in Philadelphia as we demand all members of the Democratic Party endorse the full legalization of cannabis!

JAYWALK PLAN: On Monday, July 25, 2016, we’ll meet in the morning north of City Hall (1401 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19107) in the center of the city at around 11am. We will begin our “jaywalk” between 1pm and 2pm (tentative) and make our way down to Wells Fargo Center using Broad Street. This is about a 3-4 mile distance and should take about an hour to walk. We need appoximately 20 volunteers to help carry the 51 foot inflatbale joint the entire march! Spread the word!

A caravan of DCMJ volunteers is driving up from Washington, DC on Monday morning and returning Monday night. If you need a ride or have questions about the jaywalk, please email DNC@DCMJ.ORG



Click here to RSVP on Facebook!

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

INVITE: The Funky Jaywalk — This Saturday at the Funk Parade

This weekend is going to be FUNKY

!! CALLING ALL FUNKY CANNABIS ADVOCATES !!

DC HighlifeYou are invited to get your funk on this weekend with the cannabis contignent of the Funk Parade led by DCMJ and DC Highlife!

ARE YOU READY TO FUNKY JAYWALK!?!

DETAILS: We are gathering at 3pm on Saturday, May 7 outside the Howard Theatre (620 T Street NW). Look out for the mobile jail cell as our gathering point. At approximately 4pm we will jaywalk a newly-rolled 51 foot joint with a bumpin’ sound system down U Street in the Funk Parade!

JOIN US & FUNK PROHIBITION!

Spread the word & invite your friends, because it’s gonna be FUNKY! We will be updating the Facebook Event Page with the latest info, so be sure to RSVP!

🚨 URGENT: Contact the DC Council ASAP! #StopTheBan🚨

UPDATE

Unfortunately, on Tuesday, April 19, the DC Council voted to permanently ban cannabis use at all private venues that are not residences by a vote of 7 for and 6 against. The Councilmembers voting for the ban were: Mendelson, McDuffie, Alexander, Cheh, Bonds, Todd, and May.


We have received word that DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, the biggest prohibitionist in the DC government, has scheduled the FINAL vote on the communal cannabis use ban at the Legislation Meeting taking place next Tuesday monring.  Mendelson is being so sneaky about this Legislative Meeting that you can’t even find it on the DC Council’s website. Why? He doesn’t want the public to know or care about his malicious plans to keep arresting cannabis users.

What is incredibly insulting about this vote is that it is scheduled to take place hours BEFORE the Task Force’s first Town Hall Meeting on communal use. Instead of waiting to hear the public’s input, Phil Mendelson is essentially saying “TO HELL WITH WHAT THE PUBLIC THINKS, THE DC COUNCIL KNOWS WHAT IS BEST!”

His paternalistic attitude is also making the DC Council, as a legislative body, look incredibly stupid. First they voted to create a Task Force to make recommendations on communal use, then before the Task Force even meets, Mendelson schedules a vote to make the Task Force’s recommendations irrelevant because once the permanent ban is approved,  thanks to the Harris Amendment, the DC Council cannot vote repeal it!

We’ve heard grumblings from a couple cannabis activists that they’ll have a smoke-in right in the DC Council chambers if they pass the permanent ban on Tuesday. Since they have no legal place to consume cannabis, they said they might as well light up in the Council chambers to make the point that adults deserve places to consume cannabis away from children or outside on the sidewalk, where they’d risk arrest.

We’ve also heard discussions about launching a referendum campaign that would overturn this legislation.  Lawyers reading this, here’s the draft referendum language for your review.

But none of this matters if Tuesday’s vote is either postponed or the majority of the DC Councilmembers vote NO on the permanent ban.

We need you to send e-mails and make phone calls TODAY, MONDAY, and TUESDAY morning! Below are all the council members e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and links to their DC Council webpages.

We suggest calling Mendelson & McDuffie LAST. They are hellbent on passing the ban, so it might be a waste of your time to believe your calls & emails will make a difference to these prohibitionists.  Instead we suggest contacting Councilmembers Cheh, May, and Bonds.
Please contact the DC Councilmembers NOW!

COUNCILMEMBER WARD or At-Large E-Mail Address Phone Number
Phil Mendelson is against cannabis reform
Phil Mendelson
Chairman of the Council pmendelson@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8032
CALL NOW!
Vincent Orange is for cannabis reform
Vincent Orange
At-Large Councilmember vorange@dccouncil.us (202)724-8174
Anita Bonds is sometimes for cannabis reform
Anita Bonds
At-Large Councilmember abonds@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8064
CALL NOW!
David Grosso supports cannabis reform
David Grosso
At-Large Councilmember dgrosso@dccouncil.us (202)724-8105
Elissa Silverman sometimes supports cannabis reform
Elissa Silverman
At-Large Councilmember esilverman@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)-724-7772
CALL NOW!
Brianne Nadeau supports cannabis reform
Brianne Nadeau
Ward 1 Councilmember bnadeau@dccouncil.us (202)724-8181
Jack Evans supports cannabis reform
Jack Evans
Ward 2 Councilmember jevans@dccouncil.us (202)724-8058
Mary Cheh is against cannabis reform
Mary Cheh
Ward 3 Councilmember mcheh@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8062
CALL NOW!
Brandon Todd is against cannabis reform
Brandon Todd
Ward 4 Councilmember btodd@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8052
CALL NOW!
Kenyan McDuffie is against cannabis reform
Kenyan McDuffie
Ward 5 Councilmember kmcduffie@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8028
CALL NOW!
Charles Allen sometimes supports cannabis reform
Charles Allen
Ward 6 Councilmember callen@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8072
CALL NOW!
Yvette Alexander is against cannabis reform
Yvette Alexander
Ward 7 Councilmember yalexander@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8068
CALL NOW!
LaRuby May is sometimes against cannabis reform
LaRuby May
Ward 8 Councilmember lmay@dccouncil.us
EMAIL NOW!
(202)724-8045
CALL NOW!

SAMPLE EMAIL:
SUBJECT: Stop the Communal Cannabis Ban!
BODY: Councilmember [ Insert Councilmember ],

At the upcoming Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, April 19, please vote against B21-107, the permanent ban on communal cannabis use, and let the Task Force do it’s job and make recommendations. By voting for the permanent ban, you are rendering the Task Force that you voted to create earlier this year completely useless! The Councilmembers on the Task Force are holding a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday evening after the vote to solicit feedback from the community and you are invited to hear why citizens believe the permanent ban is a bad idea. But if you vote for the permanent ban Tuesday morning, you are doing a huge disservice to the residents of the District of Columbia, and essentially saying, “we don’t care what you think!”

I believe adults in DC should have the right to use cannabis away from their children and off the sidewalks and streets. Many adults cannot use cannabis in their homes and the responsible thing to do as a legislator is to not force adults to be evicted or risk arrest, but provide alternative solutions. A permanent ban is not a solution. It’s misguided and wrong to make cannabis users second-class citizens in the District of Columbia. Please let the Task Force do it’s job and vote NO on B21-107!

Thank you for your time.


MAKE PHONE CALLS TODAY!
Here’s a sample phone call script:
Councilmember’s Staffer: Hello, Councilmember [ Insert Councilmember ]’s Office, how can I help you?
YOU: Hello, my name is [ Insert Your Name ], and I’m calling to request the Councilmember vote against B21-107, the Marijuana Decriminalization Clarification Amendment Act of 2016. This legislation is far too broad and discriminates against adults who live in homes where cannabis use is not allowed. This ban will increase the number of arrests in DC because it forces adults into the streets and sidewalks to consume cannabis when they have no other legal place to go. Worse, the Council voted to create a Task Force to make recommendations and by voting for the permanent ban, the Councilmember looks dumb for even creating the Task Force in the first place. Once the ban becomes permanent, the DC Council cannot repeal it because the Harris amendment in Congress. Please tell the Councilmember to let the Task Force do t’s job and vote NO on B21-107. Thank you for your time.


Need more talking points?
Kate Bell from MPP has a great one-pager that will help:
https://www.mpp.org/states/district-of-columbia/talking-points-ending-d-c-s-social-use-ban/

 


Legal Background on the Communal Use Ban
Some people asked us what the permanent ban is all about. Here’s our explanation:

The Decriminalization of Marijuana law that went into effect in July of 2014 (before we voted on i71) says:

Sec. 301. Consumption of marijuana in public space prohibited; impairment prohibited.

(a) Notwithstanding any other District law, it is unlawful for any person to smoke or otherwise consume marijuana in or upon a public space, or in or upon any of the following places:

(1) A street, alley, park, sidewalk, or parking area;

(2) A vehicle in or upon any street, alley, park, or parking area; or

(3) Any place to which the public is invited.

This means as long as the public was not invited to the private event, cannabis was allowed to be used.  As in, a meeting of a private club (not a nightclub, but a private membership club) means that the public is not techinically invited unless they are a member of the club.

For example, if we were to make DCMJ a private membership club and we invited everyone on this list to our annual meeting at the roof deck of Mellow Mushroom in Adams Morgan, as long as your name was on the membership list when you reached the door, you could enter, and cannabis could be consumed legally at the club’s meeting.  Paying for membership to join a private club in order to receive “free cannabis” or “a gift of cannabis” is, and always has been, illegal because the payment is a form of remuneration.

The day after Ballot Initiative 71 became law the Mayor sent legislation (B21-107) to the DC Council that amends section (3) to “clarify” what places the public is invited. Below is the text of the permanent ban:

Sec. 301. Consumption of marijuana in public space prohibited; impairment prohibited.

(a) Notwithstanding any other District law, it is unlawful for any person to smoke or otherwise consume marijuana in or upon a public space, or in or upon any of the following places:

(1) A street, alley, park, sidewalk, or parking area;

(2) A vehicle in or upon any street, alley, park, or parking area; or

(3) Any place to which the public is invited. For the purposes of this subsection, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, a private club, which includes any building, facility, or premises used or operated by an organization or association for a common avocational purpose, such as a fraternal, social, educational, or recreational purpose, is a place to which the public is invited; provided, that a private club does not include a private residence.

As you can see “claification” is a broad ban on all venues EXCEPT people’s homes.  Why should cannabis users be treated as second class citizens?
PLEASE SEND EMAILS & MAKE CALLS TODAY & JOIN US TOMORROW!

Volunteer at the DC Democracy Vigil

At the beginning of this year we sought volunteers to staff a DC Democracy Vigil. Had Congress moved to overturn Initiative 71, we planned to stage at 24 hour a day vigil to highlight our discontent. But after our meeting last week with Representative Jason Chaffetz’s staff, where we offered him a chance to reset relations with DC residents, we came away thinking Congressional leaders are not going to lift a finger for us! We have no choice but to escalate protests NOW to ruin their fake "freedom" brand and see them exposed for what they are: Oppressors.

Join dozens of I-71 volunteers who will start a 5-day 24/7 vigil from April 15 (tax day) to April 20 but we want thousands to join in the effort to shame our oppressors. Please RSVP in form below. The vigil location is a secret until April 15, so RSVP below to get the details.

Our DC Democracy Vigil is less about cannabis freedom and more about securing the same political freedoms as Americans who live in states have, like the right to elect Senators and Representatives, and to take part amending the constitution. The kerfuffle surrounding I-71 is just one facet of a larger struggle for genuine equality for District of Columbia residents. A status quo of no vote in Congress in the year 2015 is simply outrageous! We honestly believe that this is one of the most important civil rights struggles we can fix with enough united pressure from citizens like you.

We chose tax day, April 15, because DC’s license plates proclaim "Taxation Without Representation" and one of the most intrinsic tenants of freedom is the consent of the taxed, which we are denied. April 16 is DC Emancipation Day and many people have the day off. It’s a perfect time come protest with us!

NOT ENOUGH REASONS TO PROTEST?

Although DC citizens fight in wars abroad, we have no say in matters of war and peace at home yet we are literally putting our lives on the line. Shouldn’t we sacrifice as much here for Democracy as we are willing to sacrifice in other countries?

DC residents pay more in taxes than any other state in America, but we are denied the right to choose how our tax dollars are spent. No other industrialized nation in the world denies the residents of its national capital the right to participate in the country’s national legislature, except the United States.

With your help, this 214-year-old constitutional catch-22 will come to an end. Help put the spotlight on the District of Columbia so folks who live outside of the DMV will understand and demand change from the Republican-controlled Congress that cares little for DC, except when they want to force their will on us.

Chairmans Chaffetz & Rogers and Senator Cruz don’t deserve to be lobbied any longer by us, they deserve protests and to be given a 21st century tar and feathering in social media. They deserve public shaming, and as much disruption as possible to highlight their continued denial of our basic human rights.

So don’t just read this, take action! Join the DC Democracy Vigil and help construct a Liberty Pole with us. Then join the 24/7 open mic to FREE DC and engage those who are unaware of our plight. Please RSVP below so we can figure out how many people we can expect over the 132-hour protest. Location and instructions for the Vigil will be emailed to those who RSVP only.

You already made history by participating in the legalization marijuana despite Congressional harassment. Now let’s step up our efforts to free DC by getting fully equal to our brothers and sisters of the 50 United States.

See you April 15-20!


If you are planning to attend, but can’t volunteer for a shift, please RSVP on Facebook and invite all your friends!

New Campaign Signs Are Ready!

Want to help get the word out about Ballot Initiative 71? You can help the campaign by putting up signs around your neighborhood. From lampposts to your window, we want as many people as possible to vote FOR the initiative on November 4 and the best way to do this is putting up the signs in high-traffic areas.

To pick up campaign signs, first call 202-733-4640 and schedule a convenient time to pick them up at the campaign headquarters at 2448 Massachusetts Ave. NW. We ask that you call first so we can make sure your signs are ready before you arrive.