With D.C. laws permitting the use, growth and possession of small amounts of marijuana, 4/20 celebrations and protests for full legalization will cover the District in a cloud of smoke.
Initiative 71, which passed in 2014, allows District residents over 21 years old to use marijuana on private property, possess up to two ounces and grow up to six plants. People can also give up to an ounce of weed as a “gift” to another person, as long as they’re legal age.
Thursday and throughout the weekend, celebrate 4/20 by dusting off the Cheeto crumbs from your munchies-fueled snack session and venture off the couch to these events throughout the city.
First annual joint session
Hillterns, listen up. Leaders of DCMJ, the District’s largest marijuana advocacy group known for handing out thousands of free joints on Inauguration Day, will be giving out two free joints to members of Congress, hill staffers, interns, Capitol Hill support staff and credentialed journalists over 21 years old Thursday.
The event — which DCMJ is calling their first annual “joint session” — is open to anyone who works on Capitol Hill with a valid congressional ID. The group is putting on the event in hopes of garnering support for the complete legalization of marijuana by removing it from the Controlled Substance Act, which is the national law that defines drugs and what they can be used for.
Group members will be giving out the joints on the corner of First Street and Constitution Avenue NE starting at noon and ending, appropriately, at 4:20 p.m.
National Cannabis Festival
At the National Cannabis Festival, you’ll be surrounded by everything you could want for a 4/20 celebration: marijuana, mellow music and cures for your inevitable munchies.
The second annual event will take place Saturday at the RFK Stadium festival grounds where attendees can jam out to performances by artists like rapper Talib Kweli and local go-go group Backyard Band, and be educated on everything from new technology in weed to laws surrounding marijuana around the country.
The festival will offer several vendors such as Maki Shop, Ben & Jerry’s and Capital Chix and Waffles in their “Munchie Zone” to keep your cravings at bay throughout the festival which lasts from noon until 8 p.m.
Reconvene four days later at #Reschedule420
In addition to their advocacy event Thursday, DCMJ is also planning a massive “smoke-in” Monday at the Capitol Building where attendees will get high for a political statement.
Activists plan to meet up, light up and conjure up support for marijuana to be removed from the national list of controlled substances and therefore completely legalized. The group will meet at the east side of the Capitol Building at noon and then at 4:20 p.m., they’ll light up their joints, bongs and bowls.
Possessing marijuana on Capitol grounds and smoking it anywhere outside the home in D.C. is illegal, according to the event page on DCMJ’s website, which is why this event is the group’s attempt to make a “loud and proud” statement to Congress about their hopes for legalization.
An unconventional delivery service
If you celebrated a little too hard and can’t seem to slump away from your room to pick up another joint, HighSpeed has you covered.
From a first look at the company’s website, it may seem like HighSpeed is just another high-end juicery taking over the District with overpriced cleanses promising to recharge your spirit. Upon further look, you’ll notice each juice offers options to add “love” or “lots of love” to your order, which means you’ll get a special, legal gift of a bag of weed with your delivery. Because the bag of weed is given as a “gift” with the purchase of your overpriced juice and not sold to you on its own, it is legal.
David Umeh, the CEO of HighSpeed, told DCist the company souped up their delivery staff to prepare for the upcoming stoner holiday which is good news if you’d rather sit back and wait for your next hit to be delivered right to your doorstep.
