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
A big thank you goes out to the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of participants who helped make The Inaugural #Trump420 a huge success!
Below are some of the videos & news articles of the demonstration:
• Read More at Complex + Photos
• AFP: Marijuana activists hand out free joints for #Trump420 in DC
Now for some good news: On Election Day nearly all of the cannabis-related ballot initiatives passed! (Sorry Arizona, you got outspent!) The number of Americans living in states with legal cannabis grew from roughly 17 million to over 67 million & counting. Before the election President Obama said “that is not gonna be tenable” for such a large number of Americans to live under one set of cannabis laws and others live under a different set laws. The time is ripe for Congress to pass legislation that will end the government’s harassment and arrests of peaceful cannabis users and their families!
Now for the bad news: Donald Trump has tapped one of the biggest prohibitionists in Congress to be the Attorney General of the United States: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. Earlier this year the Alabama Senator said “good people don’t smoke marijuana,” and while we don’t know yet if he’ll respect states rights (or DC’s rights since we are not a state) or if he’ll do what John Ashcroft did as George W. Bush’s Attorney General: raid lawful cannabis grows, raid lawful dispensaries, and even go so far as crack down on paraphernalia vendors. Let’s not forget why Tommy Chong went to jail and why history may repeat itself if we don’t act NOW!
We can’t idly sit by and watch all the hard work we’ve done to legalize cannabis in DC be eroded by an out of touch prohibitionist!
We are calling for a series of demonstrations against Jeff Sessions between NOW and January 20, 2017.
Our first #SmokeSessions will be at his Congressional Office ( 326 Russell Senate Office Building ) Monday, November 28, at HIGH NOON!
—ROLL CALL: Pot Advocates Protest Jeff Sessions’ AG Nomination
— US NEWS & WORLD REPORT: Pot Activists Get Jeff Sessions Staff Meeting After Insinuating They Would Stage Office Smoke-in
— VIDEO:
Our second #SmokeSessions was called #ShowSessions and took place at High Noon on Thursday, December 8.
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT: Activists Roll Joint, Offer Free Pot at Jeff Sessions Office as Threats Swirl to Legalization Framework
WASHINGTON TIMES: Legal weed advocates sneak marijuana into Jeff Sessions’ Senate office
#ShowSessions on Capitol Hill, Dec 08 2016 from Mike Flugennock
Our third #SmokeSessions will be at 8AM, Tuesday, January 3, 2017 outside Union Station. We’ll greet Senate staffers, interns, and members of Congress on their way to their first day in the 115th Congress. At 9:30am we’ll visit Senate offices and drop off suggested questions for Sessions’ confirmation hearing. Click here to RSVP on Facebook!
Our fourth #SmokeSessions will be at the Senate Judiciary Confirmation Hearing for Senator Sessions on Tuesday, January 10 and Wednesday, January 11. DCMJ is seeking volunteers to line sit outside the hearing room. Please fill out this Google Doc if you can help! You can also RSVP on Facebook for SmokeSessions #4 (aka HearSessions), but please note, an RSVP on Facebook does not get you inside the hearing room. The number of seats we get inside the hearing room is contingent on the number of line sitters who volunteer!
Our fifth #SmokeSessions will be at the Inauguration on January 20, 2017.
• We demand the President-Elect Trump make a clear and unequivocal statement that he supports the full-legalization of cannabis in every State. And to urge the 115th Congress to pass legislation that removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act within the first 100 days.
• Second, we demand Senator Sessions evolve on his position that cannabis users are not only good people, but they deserve the same treatment under the law as alcohol users, prescription drug users, and non-users.
• Third, we demand Senator Sessions allow the various States and the District of Columbia the authority to make their own laws concerning cannabis without Federal government intervention.
• Fourth, we demand Senator Sessions investigate the racial disparities of federal minimum sentencing guidelines and the associated costs to the American taxpayers for maintaining the largest prison system in the world.
Our demands call for a respect for personal liberty, States rights, and good governance.
Please help us out and spread the word by using the hashtag #SmokeSessions and inviting your friends to the upcoming demonstrations!
Join us from 7pm to 9pm, Thursday, December 8 at the Adams Morgan Mellow Mushroom (2436 18th St NW) for the DCMJ Holiday Party! We’ll provide free pizza to everyone who attends! We’ll also discuss the ongoing plans for #SmokeSessions actions as well as formulate DCMJ’s plans for 2017. We hope you will join us! Click here to RSVP!
We’re going back to the White House on Saturday, April 16 to hold the:
WHO – Seed Seekers, Seed Sharers, Master Growers, Closet Gardeners, and Cannabis Advocates
WHAT – The legal sharing of cannabis seeds, buds, and cuttings and a discussion about the immediate descheduling of cannabis
WHERE – On Pennsylvania Ave., north of the White House, exactly where #Reschedule420 took place
WHEN – Saturday, April 16 from 4:21pm to 6:00pm
WHY – President Obama has failed to respond to our request to hold a cannabis summit and to provide cannabis advocates with seeds, buds, and cuttings
Since Pennsylvania Avenue is District of Columbia land, adults can legally carry up to 2 ounces of cannabis and give it away to other adults without fear of arrest. The White House Seed Share & Cannabis Summit will start AFTER 4:20pm because we want this to be a fully legal event without any on-site consumption of cannabis.
As you may know, last weekend’s “smoke-in” ruffled the feathers of many mainstream cannabis advocacy groups because we openly broke the law by consuming cannabis in public. Since we do not plan on breaking any DC laws on April 16, we are formally inviting all drug policy reform groups to join us for the Cannabis Summit that President Obama refuses to have with us.
History shows us that in order to change the laws, we must be persistent and that means more actions are needed. We all know the Emperor Wears No Clothes, but lighting up near a 51-foot inflatable joint is not going to deschedule cannabis overnight. It’s going to take ALL OF US to convince President Obama that the time for action is NOW!
Some of the press have reported that President Obama said that we should focus our efforts on Congress because they have the power to deschedule cannabis. Unfortunately nearly all of the media fails to mention that we, the cannabis activists of the District of Columbia, do not have Senators or a voting Representative to focus our efforts on. Thanks to the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, we have only the President to hold accountable, and accountable we’ll continue to hold him!
We do not expect the White House Seed Share & Cannabis Summit to be as well-attended as Reschedule420 because we are not aware of many groups of out-of-town activists who plan to join us. But we expect it to be just as awesome (minus the 51′ joint) and we know that we must all continue to put pressure on Obama to use his authority to deschedule cannabis NOW!
PLEASE NOTE: DCMJ is not giving out seeds, buds, or cuttings, rather volunteer cannabis advocates who support our efforts will be the generous ones this Saturday. Please read over the rules we drafted last year for the previous seed share.
As you know, any adult in Washington, DC can carry up to 2 ounces of cannabis on them on non-federal land, so the White House Seed Share & Cannabis Summit is open to all adults. Lawful sharing of cannabis can only take place between adults 21 and older. We urge you to not feel embarrassed to ask someone who looks under 21 for their government-issued ID before sharing with them.
In regards to the sharing of cuttings, we define a cutting as a branch of a female cannabis plant that weighs under 1 ounce and is not in a growing medium (soil, perlite, rock wool, etc.). A clone is a cutting that is in a growing medium and these can be considered plants, which are not allowed outside of your home. We suggest preserving your cuttings by placing them in a ziplock baggie with water and when you get home you should start the rooting process in the growing medium of your choosing. The last thing we want is for cannabis growers to be detained or arrested for accidentally bringing rooted plants or clones.
We will have the sound wagon with us so seed sharers can talk about their their seeds, as well as why they believe Obama should immediately deschedule cannabis. We look forward to your sharing of stories, seeds, buds, and cuttings this Saturday!
The order of 10,000 perforated filter tip fliers has arrived! To offset the cost of giving them away to dedicated activists, we are selling batches of 10 or 100 fliers for a donation of $4.20 or $42, respectively.
BACK:
Today the DC Council voted to create a Task Force that will develop recommendations on how the District of Columbia should go forward with social cannabis use.
The Task Force is to be composed of the following persons or their designees:
The Task Force has 120 days to create a report that shall include but not be limited to the following:
Click here to download the PDF of the Task Force amendment passed by the DC Council
NBC Washington: DC Lawmakers Open Door to Pot Smoking in Private Clubs
WJLA: D.C. Council votes unanimously to study how city can allow pot smoking in private clubs
A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who helped make Catharsis on the Mall: A Vigil for Healing the Drug War a HUGE success. To pay for this free event, we are still trying to hit our goal of $4,000, so please donate a little green! We hope to organize this type vigil again and have created a Facebook Page to help get the word out. Donations are used entirely to offset costs of building materials, permits, and rentals.
Michael Verdon’s Temple of Essence was open to the public for 24 hours allowing people to write on the walls inside messages about the drug war.(Photo by Kenny Reff)
More than 1000 people attended a midnight burning of artist Michael Verdon’s Temple of Essence on the national Mall on November 21, 2015. Contained inside the temple were all copies of petitions signed by 56,000 people that put Initiative 71 on the ballot to legalize marijuana. (Photo by Cherry Savoy)
Once burning Verdon’s temple transformed by fire into a rendition of a jail cell. Only when the lotus shaped temple burned down could one see the bars of the cell which eventually collapsed to the cheers of all in attendance. (Photo by Kenny Reff)
Check out some more photos from Catharsis: DCist, Kenny Reff, Ben Droz, Matt Eclair, William Tanksley, and many more on the Facebook Event Page.
Since Ballot Initiative 71 passed last November, the DC Cannabis Campaign has received many requests for cannabis seeds. We’ve said all along, “ask a friend, they might have some seeds to give you.” Still, we know that not everyone has friends who have seeds available to share.
To address this need, on the 1-month anniversary of Ballot Initiative 71 becoming law, the DC Cannabis Campaign is organizing two seed shares to facilitate personal home cultivation of cannabis permitted under the new law. This will be DC residents’ opportunity to share seeds with other adults and start down the path of legally growing your own cannabis in the safety and privacy of your home.
The first seed share will take place at Libertine, an absinthe bar in the Adams Morgan neighborhood from 5:30pm to 8:00pm on Thursday, March 26 and the second seed share will take place a few days later on Saturday, March 28 from 4:20pm to 7:00pm at the DC Cannabis Campaign Headquarters.
WHO: Cannabis Seed Sharers and Seed Seekers
WHAT: Spring Seed Share
WHERE: Libertine, 2435 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and DC Cannabis Campaign Headquarters, 2448 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
WHEN: 5:30pm to 8:00pm, Thursday, March 26, 2015 @ Libertine
4:20pm to 7:00pm, Saturday, March 28, 2015 @ DC Cannabis Campaign Headquarters
WHY: To provide DC residents with the seeds to legally grow cannabis at home
1) No money may exchange hands while sharing seeds. This is a seed share, not seed sale! The law allows the gift of up to one ounce of cannabis, but not sales, trades, or any type of service in exchange for the cannabis. If we see money changing hands, you will be asked to leave. The only place money should be visible is when you buy something at Libertine’s bar. IMPORTANT: buying someone food or drink in exchange for cannabis is illegal!
2) Do not carry more than 2 ounces at anytime. The law allows you to carry no more than 2 ounces of cannabis (including seeds) outside your home. Do not leave the seed share with more than 2 ounces cannabis (including seeds) or you risk being arrested on your way home. If we see you with more than 2 ounces of cannabis (including seeds), you will be asked to leave.
3) Do not give away more than 1 ounce of seeds to any one person. The law allows a maximum gift of 1 ounce between adults. So if you showed up with 2 ounces of seeds, you could give 1 ounce to one person and 1 ounce to another person, or you can be truly generous and give a couple seeds to every person who attends the seed share. But under no circumstances, should anyone be giving away more than 1 ounce at any time.
4) All sharing must be between two adults aged 21 and older. You MUST bring your government issued ID. No exceptions. While we will accept out-of-state IDs, these events are intended for DC residents only.
5) Cannabis seeds must be in your possession at all times. You can bring a container to hold your bagged seeds, but you must stay with your seeds at all times and give them away to other adults. Unattended cannabis seeds may be given away.
6) The DC Cannabis Campaign will not share seeds. Rather each adult will share their seeds with another adult. There won’t be a seed donation jar because someone would need to be responsible for the jar being under 2 ounces at all times.
7) Be patient. We are instituting a maximum of 80 people inside the venues and as people leave, more people will be able to come inside to share their seeds. The law does not prevent adults from sharing seeds in public, so get to know others in the line.
8) Respect the venues. Having a lot of people inside to share seeds can result in damage to the venues. Please treat the venues as you would treat your own home. The seed shares are taking place on private property and the owners are being generous by allowing the seed shares to take place. Disruptive guests will be asked to leave.
9) No consuming of cannabis. No smoking or vaping is allowed. We ask that you go home or to a friend’s house to consume your cannabis. If you are found to be smoking or vaping cannabis, you will be asked to leave the premises.
Have cannabis seeds but not sure what strain the seed is? We expect many people to bring random cannabis seeds they’ve collected over the years to share with other adults. These seeds may still be viable, and more importantly, they can provide a first-time grower the opportunity to grow cannabis at home. Many people might write off these “unknown” seeds as worthless, but for someone who’s never grown cannabis before, they can help immensely. We suggest bagging these seeds up before you arrive and write the words “Unknown” on a piece of paper inside the bag or on the outside of the bag itself.
Have seeds AND you know what strain they are? You’re a cannabis superstar! Many growers would like to know the strain they are growing and your “known” seeds could be very helpful to many novice growers. We suggest bagging these up before you arrive and include the name of the strain on a piece of paper inside the bag or on the outside of the bag itself. We also suggest putting 6 or fewer “known” seeds in each bag in order to ensure as many people as possible have access to your seeds.
Don’t have any cannabis seeds at all? Please bring baggies or containers to put your newly-obtained seeds in. We also suggest bringing a pencil & paper to write down the names of different strains you obtain at the seed share. You may end up with a couple random seeds or you might end up with multiple different types of strains; it all depends on who shows up. Lastly, if you do not plan growing cannabis, we politely ask you to not come to these seed shares. We want the seeds that are shared to go to folks who want to grow this year.
What about clones? Clones are cuttings of live cannabis plants. Clones are popular among growers because the sex of the plant is known and the strain of the plant is also known. Unfortunately, Ballot Initiative 71 does not permit the sharing of clones. Therefore, the only way to legally create clones is to grow a plant from seed and make clones of that plant inside of your home. If you bring a clone to the seed share, you will be asked to leave.
The Seed Shares will take place on the evenings of Thursday, March 26 and Saturday, March 28. We ask those with seeds to share to arrive 15 minutes early (5:15pm on Thursday & 4:05pm on Saturday).
We ask that everyone take a few minutes to re-read Ballot Initiative 71 so you know and can comply with the law.
These seed shares will be the campaign’s last public events. We anticipate winding down the campaign committee once the campaign’s debts have been paid off. In accordance with rule #1 (no money exchange), the campaign will not be taking any donations during the seed share, but you can still donate to the campaign on our website or by check.
We look forward to sharing seeds with you! Please RSVP!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: ZACK PESAVENTO |
Ballot Initiative Clears Congressional Review Period
WASHINGTON, DC – The DC Cannabis Campaign marked the end of marijuana prohibition in the District of Columbia today as Initiative 71 completed a mandatory congressional review period.
“The marijuana prohibitionists were no match for our campaign’s strategy of legalization without commercialization,” said DC Cannabis Campaign chair Adam Eidinger, who formally proposed Initiative 71. “The sun and the rain are still free, and now our seeds are too.”
Initiative 71, which legalizes the possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal consumption, was enacted with over 70% of the popular vote on November 4, 2014. The new law was transmitted to Congress on January 13, 2015 for a mandatory review period of thirty legislative days.
Congressional leaders inserted a provision in an appropriations bill in December that sought to block the District of Columbia from spending funds on marijuana legalization. Although the measure could not retroactively stop the enactment of Initiative 71, according to a recent letter by DC Attorney General Karl Racine, it would likely prohibit District officials from taking further action related to marijuana policy. The DC Council is moving forward with its own separate legislation to tax and regulate the sale of marijuana.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected what she called “bullying” tactics by Rep. Jason Chaffetz yesterday. The Utah congressman has threatened Bowser and other members of the District government with arrest for vowing to uphold the new law.
The DC Cannabis Campaign is the official campaign committee for Ballot Initiative 71. The campaign is a project of residents from across the District of Columbia, Drug Policy Action, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.
