4/20

1st Annual Congressional Joint Session on 4/20

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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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Thank You from the DC Democracy Vigil!

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A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who came out to the DC Democracy Vigil. For 6 days and nights, we vigiled on the National Mall along 3rd Street, spoke to thousands of tourists about DC Democracy, and generated numerous news stories about our demand for political equality. At the end of the vigil we were visited by Congresswoman Norton, who expressed her support for our efforts.

Here’s some of the news we generated over the last week:
DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG

WNEW – Activists Call for D.C. Marijuana Law Reform on 4/20
WUSA9 – DC lawmaker joins group calling for statehood
DCist – D.C. Statehood Activists Raise A Liberty Pole, Set Up Camp In Front Of The Capitol
Washington Post – Marijuana and statehood activists are chaining themselves to ‘liberty pole’ on the Mall
Washington Post – Gyrocopter lands on Capitol lawn; pilot is arrested
Washington Post TV – Protesters describe gyrocopter’s Capitol descent
Washington Post – D.C. residents and activists light up on the National Mall for 4/20
Roll Call – Calls for D.C. Rights Mount on Tax Day, Emancipation Day
McClatchy – As pot lovers mark their holiday, ‘420 is the new everything’
CNN – Being Moody: Growing pot next door to Congress
NBC News – Watch the Gyro-copter Land on the U.S. Capitol Lawn

DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG

Volunteer at the DC Democracy Vigil

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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!