Marijuana activists are hosting a “Joint Session” for Congress near Capitol Hill Thursday, where they plan to hand out thousands of joints to congressmen and their staffers.
Organizers with DCMJ, a cannabis advocacy group focused on marijuana law in Washington, D.C., will head to Capitol Hill Thursday for a 4/20 demonstration slated to start around noon and extend into the evening. The group plans to hand out more than 1,000 free joints to any member of Congress or their staff, as long as they are 21-years or older, reports New York Daily News.
It is legal to posses and gift up to an ounce of marijuana in Washington, D.C., however federal interference continues to bar the city from adopting a tax and regulatory framework.
“Americans don’t want a crackdown on legal cannabis—they want Congress to end cannabis prohibition once and for all,” Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ, said in a statement. “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.”
Activists are hoping to draw attention to the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which bars the Department of Justice from using taxpayer funds to go after state medical marijuana programs. The group will demand Congress act to reauthorize the amendment, which is set to expire April 28.
Eidinger and DCMJ members pulled a similar stunt for the inauguration of President Donald Trump, when protesters marched to the Capitol and gave away 4,200 marijuana gifts.
Congress is out of session this week, and most members are back in their home districts.
It is unclear what the Trump administration plans to do concerning legal marijuana laws at the state level, but harsh rhetoric against the substance is leaving the industry anxious. The Department of Justice is currently reviewing the department’s policy and will give Attorney General Jeff Sessions recommendations in July on how to proceed.
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