Marijuana activists are planning to gift free weed to people flocking to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and will risk arrest by smoking up in public during the speech.
Advocates for marijuana legalization in the District are planning a show of civil disobedience for Trump’s inauguration by protesting federal weed laws and the confusing state of legalization in the city. The protesters will gather at Dupont Circle at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 and then march to the Capitol where they plan to give away 4,200 marijuana gifts.
Selling weed in the District is illegal, but possession of up to two ounces of marijuana and gifting the substance is not a violation of local law, reports WUSA9.
“We don’t want any money exchanged whatsoever, this is really a gift for people who come to Washington, D.C.,” Adam Eidinger, founder of the D.C. Cannabis Coalition, told WUSA9. “The main message is it’s time to legalize cannabis at the federal level.”
The activists, led by Eidinger, also plan to smoke up four minutes and 20 seconds into Trump’s inaugural address, a number associated with weed and the date of the 420 marijuana holiday celebrated by smokers worldwide. At this point, the protesters will be in violation of federal and local law and risk arrest from authorities. The activists are encouraging everyone who receives free weed to join in the protest. (RELATED: Medical Marijuana Industry Is Ready For A Fight With Trump Administration)
“We are going to tell them that if they smoke on federal property, they are risking arrest,” Eidinger told WUSA9. ” But, that’s a form of civil disobedience. I think it’s a good protest. If someone wants to do it, they are risking arrest, but it’s a protest and you know what, the National Mall is a place for protest.”
Eidinger and fellow organizers are anxious that local autonomy may not be respected by Trump’s pick for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Sessions is a staunch opponent of marijuana reform and some activists worry his appointment may lead to further raids in states where marijuana is legal.
The protesters also want to draw attention to the state of marijuana law in the District, where weed is legal for recreational and medical use. The city’s 2015 marijuana ballot initiative passed with roughly 64 percent support, but the legalities of the referendum remain in limbo more than a year later due to disagreement from Republicans in Congress. The House of Representative holds fiscal power over D.C. and currently bars the D.C. Council from using appropriated funds for taxing or regulating marijuana.
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