DATE: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
TIME: 7:00-8:30PM
LOCATION: Georgetown Neighborhood Library
ADDRESS: 3260 R St NW, Washington, DC 20007
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
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WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, April 2, 2019, cannabis reform advocates from DC Marijuana Justice (“DCMJ”), Maryland Marijuana Justice (“MDMJ”), and Virginia Marijuana Justice (“VAMJ”) will descend on Capitol Hill to lawfully give away cannabis seeds to members of Congress and their staff, 21 years of age and older. The action is to call for cannabis consumer-friendly legislation that permits adults to grow cannabis in the comfort and privacy of their homes & backyards.
“As full legalization & descheduling of cannabis approaches cannabis consumers & medical patients must be able to travel throughout the United States without fear of arrest, detainment, or harassment,” says Dawn Lee-Carty, Founder of Speak Life, a mom and founder of Speak Life, an organization dedicated to educating parents and legislators on the benefits of cannabis. Ms. Lee-Carty came to advocate the use of CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in cannabis, and THC after pharmaceuticals failed to adequately treat her epileptic 11 year old daughter. Due to the federal prohibitions on cannabis, Ms. Lee-Carty cannot travel with her daughters medicine.
After voters in the District of Columbia approved Initiative 71 in November 2014 and Congress approved the law in February 2015, all adults aged 21 years of age or older can legally grow & possess small amounts cannabis in the District of Columbia. With the annual spring planting taking place after the last frost in late April, the “Congressional Seed-In” aims to help members of Congress and their staff lawfully start their cannabis gardens in the District of Columbia. Outdoor cannabis requires cannabis to be grown in cycle with the seasons, so a timely spring planting is integral to the success of the crop. However, not every American is afforded the right to grow their own cannabis. Instead many Americans are forced to buy their cannabis from dispensaries, which costs as much as 10 times more than home grown cannabis.
“The only legislation we see in the 116th Congress moving is backed by lobbyists to deal with business interests,” says Adam Eidinger, Proposer of Initiative 71 . “We’re going up to the Hill to encourage members of Congress and their staff that they represent more cannabis consumers than cannabis businesses. We want to legally grow cannabis as a basic right and this is frankly more important to me than access to banks or tax reform for huge marijuana businesses,” adds Edinger.
WHO: Members of DCMJ, MDMJ and VAMJ, expert growers, and cannabis reform activists
WHAT: “Congressional Seed-In” – A Seed Giveaway for members of Congress and their staff
WHEN: April 2, 2019, 11:00 am until 4:20 pm – Ending Rally Near Capitol Steps on East side
WHERE: All Congressional Offices in Washington, DC
WHY: Citizens demand meaningful legislation that fully ends prohibition cannabis cultivation for every adult and allows the movement of cannabis between all States.
“I don’t want cannabis grown using nuclear or coal power. I want it grown using natural sunlight. The current system of using costly warehouses to grow cannabis plants under synthetic light using synthetic chemicals is bad for consumers and bad for the environment. There is a better way,” says Ms. Lee-Carty, who currently grows using LED technology, but would prefer to grow her daughter’s cannabis outdoors..
“The age of utilizing expensive warehouses to grow cannabis is a relic of prohibition and DCMJ & MDMJ believe that cannabis should return to the fields from which it was formerly grown,” says MDMJ co-founder Kris Furnish. “Congress and state leaders have been standing in the way of cannabis consumer friendly reform, while poll after poll show that the American public fully supports the full legalization of cannabis, including home grow.
ABOUT DCMJ
Since its founding in 2013, DCMJ has lead the nation in creative and high-profile cannabis reform activism. After introducing and passing ballot initiative 71, which legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis in the District of Columbia, DCMJ organized two large seed giveaways that provided all adults the means to grow cannabis for themselves. Since then DCMJ has deployed giant 51’ inflatable joints outside the White House, the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Times Square in New York City, the 2016 Presidential Debates, and Boston’s Freedom Rally, as well as distributing over 10,000 joints of District of Columbia home grown cannabis at the Inauguration of President Donald Trump to most recently, attempting to distribute 1,227 joints at the congressional “Joint Session” in 2017, where U.S. Capitol Police unlawfully arrested seven DCMJ activists. All charges were dropped the following day. The “Congressional Seed-In” is DCMJ’s fourth annual “Reschedule 4/20,” day of action to highlight the need for meaningful cannabis reform legislation in the United States. In 2018 and 2019, aligned organizations MDMJ & VAMJ were formed to advocate for cannabis reform in Maryland and Virginia.
After you and your staff rudely slammed your office doors on DC Marijuana Justice (“DCMJ”), Maryland Marijuana Justice (“MDMJ”) and myself, I believed that I should write a letter of apology to you and some of those affected by our recent visit to your congressional office in Washington, DC. on October 2, 2018.
I’m sorry to hear you might have hurt your wrist slamming the door on me. I’m a 46-years-old, 90 lb, handicapped, Christian, single mother that has a lifelong reputation for being a non-violent, peaceful advocate. For you to think I’m a threat to you or your office is inconceivable and ironic. It was never my intention to make you feel intimidated.
I’m sorry that formal requests, to schedule an appointment with your office have been denied for years. You told me at the town hall meeting in Salisbury, MD on August 10th that you would talk to me “offline.” I believed you, and I’m sorry I did. I thought you’d want me to enter your office and have an honest discussion. At no time did I imagine that I wouldn’t be welcome in a congressional office and now, thanks to you, I cannot visit offices unless I get an appointment. I now know it’s impossible.
I’m sorry for your soul Congressman, I pray for it daily. You fail to have the decency and ability to listen to those whose lives you affect with your staunch opposition to cannabis. Your continued prohibitionist position on common-sense drug reform hurts the poor, sick, elderly, abused, students, and our valiant veterans in states where cannabis is already legal, Have you forgotten the Hippocratic Oath? You can improve the lives of medical patients immediately if you’d only evolve on this issue.
I’m sorry that you receive money from “Big Pharma,” As a doctor, you refuse to look at the overwhelming evidence that cannabis is a healing plant. You pretend to play both sides by expressing feigned interest in research to delay legalization when research already exists. You should listen to the people, like myself, that the plant has helped. The plant is not dangerous, rather it’s the antiquated laws you continue to support that makes it dangerous.
I’m sorry for my friends at DCMJ and MDMJ because you called us “violent protesters” on your congressional website. I know none of us ever are violent. The only violence endured came from you and your staff in the form a slammed door without any explanation.
I’m sorry that so many of our friends have died in the opiate crisis waiting for cannabis to become legal and accepted by doctors like yourself. I’m sorry that you won’t help disadvantaged communities by ending the racist war on drugs. I’m sorry my friends have gone to jail for a plant. The courts are still overflowing with cases of simple marijuana possession and consumption.
I’m sorry for the women of the United States. In this moment of #MeToo and after Dr. Ford’s recent testimony, that a member of Congress assumes that an assertive woman is the same as being physically aggressive or violent. It’s true, I’m a confident and assertive woman and I won’t apologize for that. I’m sorry you fear me so very much you resorted to calling the U.S. Capitol Police.
I’m sorry that, like many women after being assaulted by a man, you attempted to put all of the blame on me and not hold yourself accountable for your actions. To defame my friends and me is typical of the toxic masculinity that you and many members of Congress exude. However, don’t forget I still have two years to file an assault claim against you. It might take me that long to decide if I should put myself through that process, again. Hopefully, by then the Equal Rights Amendment will be ratified by the final state needed for the full passage and I will be equally protected under the law.
You should apologize, Congressman. Not just for slamming the doors on us but for all of the pain and suffering at your hands. Are you sorry for your part in the opiate epidemic caused by your hostility toward cannabis reform that could otherwise save lives? I doubt that.
Finally, I’m sorry you may not want to hear from the people like myself but you will on election day. I’m not the only strong-minded woman in the cannabis community. and we will not be silenced.
Sincerely,
RachelRamone Donlan
Ms. Donlan can be reached at Rachel@DCMJ.org or on Twitter @RachelRamone
Due to Hurricane Florence, we are cancelling the DCMJ & MDMJ Beach Day! Please sign up for our email list to find out about our latest plans!
On the Sunday, September 16, we’re heading out to Ocean City for a sandy summit! We’re inviting all cannabis activists and candidates for elected office in the DDMV (that’s Delaware, DC, Maryland, and Virginia!) to join us for some sunshine, voter registration, music, swimming, and informal cannabis policy discussion.
Bring your finest cannabis schwag (no, not ditch weed, but tshirts, shorts, umbrellas, flags, etc. emblazoned with cannabis botany) and celebrate the end of summer and the coming end of cannabis prohibition. We should have more logistical information, like a Ride Share Board, ready soon. If you can drive from DC to OC and have a few extra spots in your car, you should help out!! Please take a moment and invite your friends to the DCMJ & MDMJ Beach Day!
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
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
Under 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!
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!
Join DCMJ on Saturday, June 10 for a 24 hour vigil in Dupont Circle to support cannabis pride! We’ll setup the new Liberty Pole and have speakers & DJs!
Please attend our upcoming Planning Meeting on June 7 if you want to volunteer!
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.
***Media Advisory and Release***
Contact: Press@DCMJ.org
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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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.
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.
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
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.
Contact: Press@DCMJ.org
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.