A group that supports the legalization of marijuana will hand out free joints in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day Jan. 20, according to CBS affiliate, WUSA-9 TV.
The DC Cannabis Coalition will start the handouts at 8 a.m., then the group will march to the National Mall. The giveaway will be legal on District of Columbia land, the report said.
"The main message is it’s time to legalize cannabis at the federal level," Adam Eidinger said. He founded DCMJ, a group of District of Columbia residents that helped get Initiative 71 passed in February 2015, which made it legal to possess, grow, or give away two ounces or less of marijuana in the district, but not to sell it.
“We don’t want any money exchanged whatsoever, this is really a true gift to people who come to Washington, D.C.,” Eidinger said.
The group will give away 4,200 joints. The plan is to light the joints at 4 minutes and 20 seconds into Donald Trump's speech —“420” is a code term that means marijuana.
Eidinger believes that Trump’s pick for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, will roll back any successes at legalization.
“We are looking at a guy who as recently as April said that they are going to enforce federal law on marijuana all across the country. He said marijuana is dangerous,” Eidinger said.
At the event, the organizers will inform the users that they will be resisting arrest if they light up on federal property.
“We are going to tell them that if they smoke on federal property, they are resisting arrest. 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 said.
The event is not meant as a protest against Trump or to disrupt the ceremony, Eidinger said.
“If there’s people from Texas, some Cowboys fan, who is walking down the street in a big cowboy hat and a fur coat and he walks up to our demonstration, I want him to feel welcome coming to D.C.”
WTOP in Washington also spoke to Eidinger, who told that site, “I imagine there’ll be the smell of marijuana throughout the Inauguration.”
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