Standing Up for DC in Maryland

Help us flip the first!

Maybe you heardsaw, or read the news? Adam has rented a house in Salisbury, Maryland to help unseat tyrant Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD).  The photograph above was taken last Friday afternoon at the Wicomico County Board of Elections and shows Adam and his housemate Kris registering to vote in Maryland.

With the Maryland Primary Election fast-approaching on Tuesday, June 26 (one week after DC’s primary), we are looking for activists who are interested in registering voters, knocking on doors, phone banking, and helping to #FlipTheFirst.

This weekend we’ll be hitting ground running and we’d love for you to get involved!  Please email FlipTheFirst@DCMJ.org with your name and phone number.

A Fair Shot – Representation for Taxation

Join us on Tuesday, March 27 for A Fair Shot - Representation for Taxation

*MEDIA ADVISORY: Cannabis advocates to host a “Fair Shot Popup at the John A. Wilson Building on Tuesday, March 27, 2018*

DC Cannabis Business Association and DCMJ call on the District Council to take action on cannabis

Advocates will hold rally outside Wilson A. Building and lawfully share cannabis outside District Council Chambers

WASHINGTON, DC— Cannabis advocates from the newly-formed DC Cannabis Business Association (“DCCBA”) and DCMJ will hold a rally and cannabis popup at the John A. Wilson Building at 9am, Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Outraged by the increasing number of cannabis-related arrests and the inability for District residents operate legal cannabis businesses, advocates are demanding immediate action by the District Council. Advocates are calling for the District Council to pass legislation that opens the medical cannabis program to home-based businesses, implement the immediate expungement of all former cannabis crimes legalized under Initiative 71, and demand members of the District Council lobby opposing members of Congress for the repeal of the Harris Rider from the federal budget for the District of Columbia.

“I want to pay taxes,” says Lisa Scott, a founding member of the DC Cannabis Business Association, and owner of the small business “Bud Appétit,” which specializes in cannabis-infused food and beverage consulting. “The District Government is sitting on it’s hands when it comes to cannabis reform and in doing so they are leaving behind hundreds, if not thousands, of African-American small business owners who want to contribute to the betterment of the District of Columbia. Moreover, the District government is not doing enough to repair the records of thousands of its citizens who were caught up in the failed war on drugs.”

“While the Harris Rider deals only with ‘recreational’ cannabis, the District Council is free to pass legislation that opens up the overtly restrictive medical cannabis program to allow more small-business owners to participate,” explains Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ and proposer of Initiative 71. “If a District resident wants to bring their extra homegrown cannabis to a local farmers market, they should be able sell it to any adult without fear of arrest. All cannabis is medical to me and just because unelected members of Congress think otherwise, doesn’t mean the District Council should not stand up for residents and encourage ‘ganjapreneurship.’ That’s why we are calling for our elected officials to go to the Hill and meet with members of Congress to lobby for the removal of the tyrannical Harris Rider.”

Initiative 71 allows adults to possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis and give up to an ounce away to other adults. There is nothing in the law that says adults cannot legally give out cannabis inside District government buildings. Advocates intend to share cannabis inside the John A. Wilson building to make the point that they’d rather be able to legally sell cannabis and pay taxes than the current system of “popups,” which are temporary cannabis markets that the District Council created with their misguided legislation that bans private cannabis events. The Harris Rider, prevents the District Council from passing any laws that reduce penalties for “recreational” cannabis, including the opening of non-medical cannabis dispensaries.


WHAT: “A Fair Shot- Representation for Taxation” DCMJ & DCCBA Rally and Cannabis Popup
WHO: DCMJ, DCCBA, and cannabis reform supporters.
WHEN: 9:00am to 10:15am EST, Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Rally: 9:00am to 9:30am
Cannabis Popup: 9:30am to 10:15am
WHERE: Rally: Outside 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Cannabis Popup: Outside of District Council Chambers, Room 500, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW


Click here to RSVP on Facebook

Bring It Home – National Days of Action

Take Part in the Bring It Home Campaign this April!

During the first week of April 2018 join cannabis activists from around the country for three days of demonstrations. The “Bring It Home” Campaign aims to highlight the fact that even states with some forms of legalized cannabis, many adults cannot legally “Bring It Home”

MONDAY, APRIL 2 – Adults receiving government assistance for their housing can be evicted from their homes for the possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis. Although 29 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of cannabis, as long as the federal government classifies cannabis as Schedule One substance, adults cannot use, possess, or grow cannabis if they receive any government assistance. This needs to change!
LOCATION = Your Nearest HUD Building
Not sure where they are? Check: https://www.hud.gov/program_o…/field_policy_mgt/localoffices

CONFIRMED DEMONSTRATIONS:
Baltimore, MD – 3pm @ 417 E Fayette St
Washington, DC – 12pm @ 451 7th St SW + 4pm @ 1133 North Capitol St NE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 3 – Veterans who valiantly served in the United States military are denied the right to obtain a recommendation for cannabis from the VA doctor. Although 30 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of cannabis, as long as the federal government classifies cannabis as Schedule One substance, Veterans cannot use, possess, or grow cannabis at any VA Building. This needs to change!
LOCATION = Your Nearest VA Building
Not sure where they are? Check: https://www.va.gov/statedva.htm

CONFIRMED DEMONSTRATIONS:
Baltimore, MD – 3pm @ 31 Hopkins Plaza
Washington, DC – 12pm @ 810 Vermont Ave NW
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 – Students in states with legalized cannabis can be kicked out of their dorms for cannabis. Worse, at many universities students have already paid for calendar year’s housing and if they are caught with cannabis they must find housing off-campus and do not get their money back from the university. Although 30 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of cannabis, as long as the federal government classifies cannabis as Schedule One substance, students cannot use, possess, or grow cannabis at any and could be ruin their educational prospects if they Bring It Home. This needs to change!

LOCATION = ONLINE TWITTER STORM! It’s time for students sound off!  More details soon!

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We plan to add confirmed Bring It Home demonstrations to this page. We request organizers create Facebook Event and send us the link so we can update this page with the time, date, and location. Together we are going to change these outdated policies so everyone can have safe and equal access to cannabis!

Please spread the word by sharing this page and by RSVPing to the Bring It Home Facebook Event.

Questions? Have a confirmed Bring It Home demonstration? Please contact: BringItHome@DCMJ.org

Philippines Stop the Drug War Killings! Free Senator de Lima!

Philippines Stop the Drug War Killings! Free Senator de Lima!

Philippines Stop the Drug War Killings! Free Senator de Lima!

Join us Wednesday, February 28 for a lunchtime demonstration!

Since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016, police and vigilantes have murdered more than 16,000 purported drug users and sellers in a bloody campaign of extrajudicial killings. Duterte, who has repeatedly promised to kill hundreds of thousands of people, and who has bragged about killing people himself, is now being investigated by the International Criminal Court for alleged Crimes Against Humanity.

A year ago, the Philippines’ leading critic of Duterte’s violence, Senator Leila de Lima, was jailed on fabricated drug charges. The charges were apparently brought in retaliation after de Lima had a confessed former member of Duterte’s Davao Death Squad testify in the Senate.

On Wednesday, February 28th, please join Filipino Americans, drug policy reformers and other human rights defenders to call for an end to extrajudicial killings and for Senator de Lima to be freed. We will rally from noon to 1:00pm in front of the Philippines Embassy, 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW in Washington, DC. Among other things, the event will feature a street theater performance in which attendees will symbolically free a Senator de Lima figure from a realistic mobile model of a prison cell.

Please email David Borden to get involved in preparations for this demonstration or for other information, and please spread the word! Participating organizations so far include:

    • Amnesty International USA
    • Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
    • DCMJ
    • Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines
    • Filipino American Human Rights Alliance
    • Institute for Policy Studies Drug Policy Project
    • StoptheDrugWar.org
    • Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Click here to RSVP on Facebook


Watch the Livestream:

Cannabis and the Law: The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on the Drug War, Public Policy, and Social Justice


2018 UDC Law Review Symposium:

Cannabis and the Law: The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on the Drug War, Public Policy, and Social Justice

Thursday, March 22, 2018 – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Breakfast 9:30 AM / Reception 4:00 to 6:00 PM

UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
4340 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008
202.274.7400

Presented by the UDC Law Review in partnership with the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law

Click here to Register

Haunted by HUD: A Cannabis Gifting Demonstration

Join us for Haunted by HUD: A Cannabis Gifting DemonstrationUnder the draconian rules of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, adults receiving government aid can be evicted for using or possessing cannabis inside their home. From California to Colorado to Massachusetts to Washington, DC, adults should not be forced to live in fear! Your Home should be a safe place!

Join us this Halloween for a lunchtime demonstration at HUD’s HQ in Washington, DC and help us shed some light on one of the scariest issues facing cannabis consumers around the United States!

WHO: Cannabis Reform Advocates, Housing Assistance Recipients, Concerned Citizens
WHAT: Haunted by HUD: A Cannabis Gifting Demonstration
WHERE: 451 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
WHEN: 11:30am to 1:30pm, October 31, 2017
WHY: It’s scary to believe that in 2017 the Department of Housing and Urban Development thinks recipients of housing aid should be evicted for the use or possession of cannabis inside their homes. As more states legalize cannabis for adult & medical use, recipients of aid should not have to fear the HUD boogyman any longer!

Please RSVP on Facebook

We will be planning this upcoming demonstration this Thursday evening at the DCMJ Planning Meeting #14 in the basement meeting room of the Southwest Neighborhood Library. Please join us!

Weed for Warriors Rally – Dupont Circle 5/8

Rally with the Weed for Warriors Project on Monday, May 8!
Join the Weed for Warriors Project this coming Monday at noon in Dupont Circle for a rally concerning Johns Hopkins University’s about face on researching medical cannabis for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For those of you not aware, the federal government needlessly restricts research on cannabis and when they finally allow research to go forward, they provide researchers with horrible quality cannabis.

When the principle investigator, Dr. Sue Sisley, came forward in March to highlight the fact that the government’s substandard cannabis contained mold, Johns Hopkins University cancelled the research study.

This Monday we’re rallying at Dupont Circle and then marching down Massachusetts Ave. to the Johns Hopkins University’s DC campus to demand the DEA-approved research go forward!  Please join us!

WHO: Veterans with Weed For Warriors, DCMJ members, and advocates for cannabis research
WHAT: Rally & March for PTSD research!
WHERE: Dupont Circle, Washington, DC
WHEN: High Noon, May 8, 2017
WHY: Veterans are currently prohibited from speaking with their VA doctors about using cannabis to combat PTSD. Without the scientific research backing up the anecdotal claims of thousands of veterans that cannabis helps with PTSD, our veterans will not be able to find relief they deserve. Thus, we are demanding that Johns Hopkins University restart the DEA-approved research study immediately!

Please take a moment and invite your friends on Facebook!  

We can’t let important scientific research be silenced!

1st Annual Congressional Joint Session on 4/20

Join DCMJ for the 1st Annual Congressional Joint Session on 4/20

Join District of Columbia residents with DCMJ for the 1st Annual Congressional Joint Session!

We are giving away TWO FREE joints to all members of Congress, congressional staff, interns, support staff, and credentialed journalists who are 21 years of age and in possession of a congressional ID.

WHO: Supporters of congressional cannabis reform and those with valid congressional IDs who are 21 years of age or older.
WHAT: 1st Annual Congressional Joint Session, a free cannabis giveaway
WHERE: On non-federal land near the corner of 1st St. & Constitution Ave. NE
WHEN: High Noon until 4:20pm, Thursday, April 20
WHY: We want members of Congress, congressional staff, interns, support staff, and credentialed journalists to legally obtain cannabis so they will support removing cannabis entirely from the Controlled Substances Act. Moreover, we are demanding Congress remove the DC rider that prevents the DC government changing it’s cannabis laws.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook


***Media Advisory and Release***

Contact: Press@DCMJ.org

DCMJ’s 1st Annual Congressional #JointSession,
A Free Cannabis Giveaway for Capitol Hill Staff and Media

DCMJ to Call on Congress to Remove DC Rider Preventing the District’s Government from Sensibly Regulating Adult-Use Stores and Cafes

WASHINGTON, DC — On Thursday, April 20th, DCMJ, the advocacy and educational organization that spearheaded Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis in the District of Columbia, will lead the 1st Annual Congressional #JointSession—a free cannabis giveaway—for members of Congress, Congressional staffers, credentialed journalists, support staff, interns, and 21-or-older Capitol Hill workers with valid Congressional identification.

Organized by DCMJ, DC residents will lawfully give away at least 1,000 free cannabis legally home-grown joints, and call on Speaker Ryan and Congress to reauthorize the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency from using funds to step in or interfere with DC and state medical cannabis laws. The measure expires April 28, 2017. To date, the amendment has protected nearly two-thirds of country from federal legal intervention. However, the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment must be approved by Congress every year in the federal budget. Additionally, DCMJ will also call on Speaker Ryan and Congress to remove the DC budget rider that prevents the DC government from regulating adult-use stores and cafes.

“Americans don’t want a crackdown on legal cannabis—they want Congress to end cannabis prohibition once and for all,” said Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ. “Giving adults access to cannabis and individuals and small business owners legal protection in all 50 states is what the American people have been asking for—just take one look at last year’s election. It is time Congress remove cannabis from its Schedule I classification—and act. On 420, we’ll celebrate adults making informed choices based on facts, rather than propaganda. Our demonstration will begin to lift the special-interest smokescreen giving Congress cover and preventing responsible cannabis laws from being enacted at the federal level.”

WHAT: The 1st Annual Congressional #JointSession, A Free Cannabis Giveaway – Two free joints per valid Congressional ID
WHO: DCMJ volunteers and legalization advocates – Supporters of congressional cannabis reform and those with valid Congressional IDs who are 21 years of age or older.
WHEN: Thursday, April 20, 2017 High Noon to 6:20pm
WHERE: On non-federal land near the corner of First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC

*Note: Media interested in videotaping DCMJ rolling joints for the congressional giveaway should send an email to Press@DCMJ.org to schedule an appointment.

Nikolas Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ, added, “It would be a grave mistake to ignore the will of the American people, and for Congress to continue to remain action-less, or to arbitrarily cherry pick when and where to respect DC and states rights. Cannabis consumers across America create tens of thousands of state-legal jobs and valuable economic activity and taxes that support vital programs in states and cities. Congress and the Trump Administration would be better served getting familiar with facts instead of using scare-tactics and out-dated talking points that have been debunked by science. We need to know if Speaker Ryan will truly work to make America great again? The number of cannabis reform bills before the 115th Congress is at an all time high, but the lack of Congressional action is no laughing matter. A federal solution is needed now.”

DCMJ will also request that Congress reaffirm the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency from using funds to step in or interfere with state- legal medical cannabis laws. DCMJ further calls on the Appropriations Committee amend or remove the budget rider restricting the District of Columbia government from regulating adult-use stores and cafes.

To learn more about DCMJ visit http://dcmj.org; follow DCMJ on Twitter at @DCMJ2014; like DCMJ on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dcmj2014/.

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#Reschedule420 on 4/24 at the U.S. Capitol

DCMJ Statement on Arrests at Smoke-In on Capitol Steps

WASHINGTON, D.C. — DCMJ, the advocacy and educational organization that spearheaded Initiative 71, issued the following statement regarding #Reschedule420 Smoke-In at the Capitol on April 24, 2017.

Statement from Nikolas Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ:
Cannabis legalization is a bipartisan issue that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Ryan, and Congress can no longer afford to ignore. There is overwhelming support for ending cannabis prohibition, and 71% of Americans are against a federal crackdown.

This is a peaceful and responsible movement that is demanding Congress to stop cherry picking when to respect states rights. We want Congress to do their job and respect the will of the voters.

Unfortunately, the reality is that sometimes our laws don’t match what the American people want. We have many examples of this throughout our nation’s history. It is time Congress ends unjust laws that ‘criminalize’ tens of thousands every year. However, these injustices cannot stand.

We will continue our work and we not be silenced. It’s high time, Congress get in line with the overwhelming number of citizens who support legalizing a plant scientifically far less harmful than alcohol.


Support for Ending Cannabis Prohibition Has Never Been Higher
According to an October 2016 Gallup poll, American support for legalizing cannabis is at 60 percent, the highest it’s been in 47 years, and a 2015 Harris poll found a staggering 81 percent of Americans support legalization of cannabis for medical use. Seventy-one percent of Americans across party lines and age groups oppose a federal crackdown on state-legal programs. Today, there are 29 states and the District of Columbia that have chosen to create regulated cannabis programs, including four of the five most populated states in the nation. More than 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in states that allow adults 21 and older to legally consume cannabis, and more than 60 percent of the population lives in a state where medical cannabis access is legal.

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In case you missed it, at yesterday’s White House Press Briefing spokesman Sean Spicer finally answered a question about cannabis. His response was not good. Please watch it for yourself.

It’s Why We’re Rescheduling 420 Again This Year!

New date & time: Gather at HIGH NOON, on Monday, April 24, 2017 with mass civil disobedience at 4:20pm
New location: The east side of the U.S. Capitol

This is a National Call to Action!
No More Waiting!! Congress Deschedule Cannabis NOW!

While other marijuana advocacy groups are issuing statements, we are calling on them to join us in a national demonstration on April 24, 2017. The powers that be ignore our statements and petitions but they cannot ignore us when we gather in large numbers. Therefore we need every cannabis supporter to join us at the Capitol! 

We are urging those of you reading this who live outside of DC, to reschedule your calendar, come to DC, and smoke out the office of your member of Congress. Locally, we have our eyes set on a few members of Congress that need to smell the change we desire.

Congress is not listening to us and they need to be reminded that America’s cannabis laws need to be changed NOW. Not with some lame bandaid of a law that lets states do their own thing or rescheduling that prohibits plant access, but a comprehensive law that allows you to take your cannabis in a car from DC to California without fear of arrest.

Cannabis needs to be fully removed from the Controlled Substances Act, not pushed down to Schedule II into the hands of Big Pharma!

PLEASE NOTE: Possession of cannabis on the Capitol grounds is not legal. Consuming cannabis anywhere in DC outside of a home is not legal either. But sitting quietly while the Trump administration rolls back our freedoms is not something we plan to do. We need to be loud and proud!

The Inaugural #Trump420 showed that cannabis reform is not a partisan issue. There are millions of Trump supporters who support the full legalization of cannabis, and we are encouraging people of all political stripes to join this national mobilization!

Yesterday’s poll showed a majority of Americans want cannabis reform. But unless we loudly demand it, we are going to get stuck with another shitty law that benefits corporations and not the American people.

We expect arrests to take place on Reschedule420 this year, but we know that our cause is just. We know that the best way to make America great again is not enforcing the outdated Controlled Substances Act, but providing Americans the liberty to choose cannabis for relaxation, enjoyment, and medicine.

Moreover, we can argue that ALL CANNABIS USE IS MEDICAL. If you use it to relax, that is medical. If you use it to put yourself into a better mood, that is medical. The argument that only some sick people can use cannabis while other adults are not sick enough to deserve it is deeply flawed. Many people use cannabis in order to not get sick!

Please share this link with your friends and RSVP on Facebook.

NEWS ADVISORY

Contact: Press@DCMJ.org

Smoke-In on Capitol Steps

Legalization Advocates to Lead #Reschedule420 Demonstration to Call on Congress to End the War on Cannabis, Uphold Rohrabacher–Farr Amendment, and Respect DC and States Rights

WASHINGTON, DC – DCMJ, the organization that spearheaded Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis in the District of Columbia, will lead a #Reschedule420 Smoke-In at the Capitol on Monday, April 24th. The demonstration, which is scheduled to take place four days after DCMJ’s 1st Annual Congressional #JointSession—a free cannabis giveaway—will urge Congress to support Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 (H.R. 1227), which would put an end to the federal prohibition of cannabis and enable states to decide their own path regarding cannabis policy. DCMJ will also call on Congress to uphold the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency from using funds to step in or interfere with state medical cannabis laws. The demonstration will place a much-needed spotlight on the Congressional inaction and ‘delay’ in addressing our nation’s ineffective drug policies. Additionally, DCMJ will call on Speaker Ryan and Congress to remove the DC budget rider that prevents the DC government from sensibly regulating adult-use stores and cafes.

WHAT: #Reschedule420 Smoke-In on Capitol Steps (House Side)
WHO: DCMJ volunteers and cannabis legalization advocates
WHEN: Monday, April 24, 2017 High noon to 4:20 p.m.
WHERE: Eastside of Capitol on the House steps side of Capitol, Washington, D.C.
*Note: Media interested in videotaping DCMJ rolling joints for the congressional giveaway should send an email to Press@DCMJ.org to schedule an appointment.

“Congress and Speaker Ryan can’t afford to ignore the vast majority of Americans, who want to end cannabis prohibition—so we are headed to Capitol Hill to finally have our issues heard,” said Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DMCJ. “Congressional inaction and leaving harmful laws on the books isn’t anyway to run a government—it is irresponsible. Arbitrarily respecting states rights and walking all over DC’s isn’t setting at the bar very high either. Speaker Ryan and others members of Congress need to stop hiding behind the special-interest smokescreen preventing responsible cannabis laws from being enacted. If these members of Congress ask themselves, who has the most to lose from ending the war on cannabis—it isn’t the American people.”

Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 (H.R. 1227)
DCMJ will request that Speaker Ryan and members of Congress support the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 (H.R. 1227) proposed by Virginia Rep. Tom Garrett (R) and co-sponsored by Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D), which would remove cannabis from a Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act.

DCMJ will ask lawmakers to entirely remove cannabis, a plant far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, from a Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act. Today, Congressional inaction has left tens of thousands of individuals incarcerated, stripped millions of Americans of their right to vote, left otherwise law-abiding citizens with burdensome criminal records, and patients & veterans without access to alternative life-saving treatments that have been known to improve overall quality of life.

Rohrabacher–Farr Amendment
DCMJ will request that Congress reaffirm the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency from using funds to step in or interfere with state medical cannabis laws. The amendment has protected nearly two-thirds of the country and cannabis consumers from federal legal intervention. However, the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment must be approved by Congress every year in the federal budget. DCMJ will request that the amendment is upheld under the new Congressional budget.

Protect DC and States Rights
In November 2014, DCMJ-backed Initiative 71 passed by 70 percent of DC voters. Even before Initiative 71 passed, the Council of the District of Columbia proposed a framework, which was approved to regulate the legal sale and taxation of cannabis, which would have enable DC to sensibly regulate adult-use cannabis. However, Representative Andy Harris (R-Md.)—who has long opposed DC’s independence and unsuccessfully worked to block DC’s decriminalization of cannabis—worked to sneak in a ‘rider’ as part of a deal to avoid a government shutdown. The Harris rider has prevented the DC government from spending any of the District’s locally-raised funds to regulate adult-use stores and cafes. This has resulted in the loss of millions of tax dollars, and potentially thousands of jobs.

High Personal Costs and A Waste of Tax Dollars
While some states have implemented responsible cannabis laws, others have decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis, and other states still make cannabis possession a misdemeanor or even a felony. Data shows that current our laws are enforced in racially biased ways. Coupled with enforcement issues and a system that coerces guilty pleas, the consequences can be devastating for individuals charged with cannabis ‘crimes.’ The loss of a job, the right to vote, court fines, and other penalties, along with the stigma of a conviction when trying to secure work, an apartment or home or accessing benefits and other programs can be devastating to individuals and their families. Additionally, the cost to identify, arrest, prosecute, sentence, incarcerate, and supervise people for cannabis possession are tens of millions of tax dollars that could be better spent.

Support for Ending Cannabis Prohibition Has Never Been Higher
According to an October 2016 Gallup poll, American support for legalizing cannabis is at 60 percent, the highest it’s been in 47 years, and a 2015 Harris poll found a staggering 81 percent of Americans support legalization of cannabis for medical use. Seventy-one percent of Americans across party lines and age groups oppose a federal crackdown on state-legal programs. Today, there are 29 states and the District of Columbia that have chosen to create regulated cannabis programs, including four of the five most populated states in the nation. More than 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in states that allow adults 21 and older to legally consume cannabis, and more than 60 percent of the population lives in a state where medical cannabis access is legal.

To learn more about DCMJ visit DCMJ.org; follow DCMJ on Twitter at @DCMJ2014; like DCMJ on
Facebook
.

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