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NEWS ADVISORY |
CONTACT: Adam Eidinger 202-744-2671 |
DC-MD-VA Cannabis Coalition to Host Inaugural Awards Event
“After Prohibition: Investigating What Comes Next for the Economy, Public Safety, and America’s Families”
WASHINGTON, DC – The newly formed DC-MD-VA Cannabis Coalition (DMVCC) will host an evening awards event Thursday, April 17, that brings together concerned citizens, policy reform advocates, and legislators to celebrate recent successes on cannabis reforms in the Mid-Atlantic region. The DMVCC will present “vanguard” awards recognizing the contributions of three individuals who have been instrumental in reforming marijuana laws locally. Among the award recipients is DC Councilmember Tommy Wells. Keynote speaker, author and journalist Doug Fine, will round out the evening with a rollicking and inspiring presentation culled from his years of investigative research into the policies, economics, and sustainability of cannabis and hemp.
WHO: Councilmember Tommy Wells, The DC Cannabis Campaign, Virginia NORML, and Maryland NORML
WHAT: DC-MD-VA Cannabis Coalition Inaugural Awards Event
WHEN: 7:30 pm, Thursday, April 17, 2014
WHERE: Busboys and Poets (5th and K), 1025 5th St. NW, Washington, DC
WHY: To change the DMV region’s outdated marijuana laws
“It takes a lot of courage to change marijuana laws in America, and we need to honor elected officials who have taken bold steps,” says Adam Eidinger, Chair of the DC Cannabis Campaign. “We will award DC Councilmember Tommy Wells for his work on ending marijuana arrests. His decriminalization law prevents thousands of District resident from needlessly being arrested for small amounts of marijuana.” Introduced in July 2013, the law was passed by the DC Council in early March and was transmitted to Congress in April. Wells’ decriminalization of marijuana legislation makes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a $25 fine instead of an arrest and has spurred the entire region to look at their marijuana laws.
About the keynote speaker: After 40 years and more than $1 trillion in taxpayer money, the end of cannabis prohibition is near. According to Gallup, 58 percent of Americans now favor marijuana legalization, and an increasing number of states are pressuring the federal government to follow their lead as America’s longest war winds down. Bestselling investigative journalist Doug Fine, author of Too High to Fail and Hemp Bound, will tell stories and present images from the front lines in North America, South America, and Europe.
About the DC Cannabis Campaign: Organized in 2013, the DC Cannabis Campaign is composed of residents who are working to change out-dated marijuana laws in the District of Columbia. The campaign submitted a ballot initiative in January to the DC Board of Elections and will soon be collecting signatures to place Initiative 71 on November’s general election ballot. The voter initiative will allow District residents to grow up to three mature plants in their homes and possess up to two ounces of marijuana without fear of arrest or fine.
Tickets to the awards event can be purchased here.