Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The nation's capital has made progress when it comes to cannabis, with the passing of Initiative 71, legalizing recreational marijuana use and possession. Even with the legislation, marijuana advocates contend that amendments are needed to make D.C. a "District of Cannabis."
There are factors that make D.C. cannabis laws restrictive. For instance, marijuana cannot be sold or purchased unless one has a medical card and is at a dispensary. In addition, local weed laws are not acknowledged on federal land, which accounts for 29 percent of the city's total land area. Yet, D.C. marijuana advocates note one of the largest problems with the legislation is that it marginalizes an already disenfranchised group in the district.
"The law's not working for low-income people," said Adam Eidinger, a White advocate in the fight for cannabis legalization instrumental in the passing of Initiative 71. He also co-founded DCMJ, a local marijuana advocacy group.
Ras Fia, CEO and founder of Cannabis Alliance Networking Group, noted that low-income residents being negatively affected by the current marijuana legislation are disproportionately Black. "Since the passing of Initiative 71 there are a lot of benefits, but there are a lot of negatives. A lot of the African-American community is receiving the negative backlash because they live in public housing," said Fia.
Because the property is federally owned, those who live in public housing cannot legally consume cannabis in their homes, yet they also cannot go outside, because public smoking is illegal as well.
Eidinger said that federal law and the many rules being enforced by the housing authority are stifling in general. "They're basically trying to make public housing for sweet old grandmothers who don't touch alcohol, cigarettes, or weed," he said.
Even with a medicinal card, those living in public housing are not afforded any of the privileges of card holders not living on federal land.
A 53-year-old with fibromyalgia living in public housing in Southeast, who asked to be referred to as Cookie Brown for fear of repercussions, has been met with roadblocks as a medicinal marijuana user. "The medical program itself [laid out by the legislation] is not as beneficial as it could be for the patients. The dispensaries and the prices . . . It could be better laid out with the patients in mind. It's more laid out for bureaucrats to get their cuts," said Brown. "We've basically been threatened here, that if there are any activities that go on with marijuana that you can be evicted . . . No recourse. No appeal," she said.
To function, Brown said, she consumes marijuana in her apartment, but acknowledges the serious risk. "I absolutely feel unsafe with every jay I light," she said.
Brown and other advocates like Eidinger and Fia, argue there are other drugs authority figures should be more preoccupied with than marijuana. "Some officers realize there are other issues more important such as the opium epidemic and K2," Fia said.
He said he has noticed that depending on the geographical location in D.C., certain officers are more concerned about marijuana than others. "It seems as though in areas like Southeast, areas where individuals are not as financially blessed, it seems to me like there's a police car at every other light . . . I live in Northeast. I see people smoking and Caucasians walk right past officers smoking and they don't say anything . . . It all depends on where you are in the city," said Fia.
In 2011, prior to the passing of Initiative 71, there were about 5,700 marijuana arrests in the city. According to Eidinger, after the passing of Initiative 71, in 2015, marijuana arrests were reduced to 351. In 2016, the number rose to 654, 354 of those arrests being for public smoking.
While arrest numbers are lower than they were prior to the passing of the current marijuana legislation, in 2017 people are still going to jail for cannabis use. Eidinger was arrested twice in April. He was arrested for giving marijuana away on April 20 — the internationally recognized marijuana-lovers' holiday — and next on April 24th, with Fia, when smoking cannabis near the capitol as part of a religious ceremony.
Eidinger, who has been arrested 21 times because of his marijuana advocacy, said he learned a lot in his most recent jail stint. "This time it just reaffirmed that jail and prison are set up to oppress African American people. I was the only White guy of the 80 guys in central cell block," he said. "People are self-medicating with Molly and MDMA (ecstasy) not because of PTSD from war, but for what was seen in the hood.
"The felons are our disenfranchised communities and I don't think that's what our founding fathers even intended . . . I'm aware of this issue as a White man. I'm painfully aware of it. My Jewish mother is livid that I voluntarily put myself in jail."
Eidinger continues to serve as an advocate because he contends there will be major improvement once there is true legalization.
Cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, which includes substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. Eidinger and Fia said they think marijuana laws will be reformed once the substance is rescheduled.
During the January inauguration, Eidinger and other advocates were able to bring 10,000 people together from various backgrounds, by gifting them with free marijuana. "Trump supporters, religious people, all races... It was like such a diverse crowd and it wasn't just Democrats or Republicans. All kinds of Americans. People put their politics aside for free weed," Eidinger said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Group Claims Marijuana Laws Unfair | Afro
Author: Micha Green
Contact: CONTACT US | Afro
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The AFRO - Your black news, sports, entertainment, and politics | Afro
There are factors that make D.C. cannabis laws restrictive. For instance, marijuana cannot be sold or purchased unless one has a medical card and is at a dispensary. In addition, local weed laws are not acknowledged on federal land, which accounts for 29 percent of the city's total land area. Yet, D.C. marijuana advocates note one of the largest problems with the legislation is that it marginalizes an already disenfranchised group in the district.
"The law's not working for low-income people," said Adam Eidinger, a White advocate in the fight for cannabis legalization instrumental in the passing of Initiative 71. He also co-founded DCMJ, a local marijuana advocacy group.
Ras Fia, CEO and founder of Cannabis Alliance Networking Group, noted that low-income residents being negatively affected by the current marijuana legislation are disproportionately Black. "Since the passing of Initiative 71 there are a lot of benefits, but there are a lot of negatives. A lot of the African-American community is receiving the negative backlash because they live in public housing," said Fia.
Because the property is federally owned, those who live in public housing cannot legally consume cannabis in their homes, yet they also cannot go outside, because public smoking is illegal as well.
Eidinger said that federal law and the many rules being enforced by the housing authority are stifling in general. "They're basically trying to make public housing for sweet old grandmothers who don't touch alcohol, cigarettes, or weed," he said.
Even with a medicinal card, those living in public housing are not afforded any of the privileges of card holders not living on federal land.
A 53-year-old with fibromyalgia living in public housing in Southeast, who asked to be referred to as Cookie Brown for fear of repercussions, has been met with roadblocks as a medicinal marijuana user. "The medical program itself [laid out by the legislation] is not as beneficial as it could be for the patients. The dispensaries and the prices . . . It could be better laid out with the patients in mind. It's more laid out for bureaucrats to get their cuts," said Brown. "We've basically been threatened here, that if there are any activities that go on with marijuana that you can be evicted . . . No recourse. No appeal," she said.
To function, Brown said, she consumes marijuana in her apartment, but acknowledges the serious risk. "I absolutely feel unsafe with every jay I light," she said.
Brown and other advocates like Eidinger and Fia, argue there are other drugs authority figures should be more preoccupied with than marijuana. "Some officers realize there are other issues more important such as the opium epidemic and K2," Fia said.
He said he has noticed that depending on the geographical location in D.C., certain officers are more concerned about marijuana than others. "It seems as though in areas like Southeast, areas where individuals are not as financially blessed, it seems to me like there's a police car at every other light . . . I live in Northeast. I see people smoking and Caucasians walk right past officers smoking and they don't say anything . . . It all depends on where you are in the city," said Fia.
In 2011, prior to the passing of Initiative 71, there were about 5,700 marijuana arrests in the city. According to Eidinger, after the passing of Initiative 71, in 2015, marijuana arrests were reduced to 351. In 2016, the number rose to 654, 354 of those arrests being for public smoking.
While arrest numbers are lower than they were prior to the passing of the current marijuana legislation, in 2017 people are still going to jail for cannabis use. Eidinger was arrested twice in April. He was arrested for giving marijuana away on April 20 — the internationally recognized marijuana-lovers' holiday — and next on April 24th, with Fia, when smoking cannabis near the capitol as part of a religious ceremony.
Eidinger, who has been arrested 21 times because of his marijuana advocacy, said he learned a lot in his most recent jail stint. "This time it just reaffirmed that jail and prison are set up to oppress African American people. I was the only White guy of the 80 guys in central cell block," he said. "People are self-medicating with Molly and MDMA (ecstasy) not because of PTSD from war, but for what was seen in the hood.
"The felons are our disenfranchised communities and I don't think that's what our founding fathers even intended . . . I'm aware of this issue as a White man. I'm painfully aware of it. My Jewish mother is livid that I voluntarily put myself in jail."
Eidinger continues to serve as an advocate because he contends there will be major improvement once there is true legalization.
Cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, which includes substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. Eidinger and Fia said they think marijuana laws will be reformed once the substance is rescheduled.
During the January inauguration, Eidinger and other advocates were able to bring 10,000 people together from various backgrounds, by gifting them with free marijuana. "Trump supporters, religious people, all races... It was like such a diverse crowd and it wasn't just Democrats or Republicans. All kinds of Americans. People put their politics aside for free weed," Eidinger said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Group Claims Marijuana Laws Unfair | Afro
Author: Micha Green
Contact: CONTACT US | Afro
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The AFRO - Your black news, sports, entertainment, and politics | Afro
