On Monday, April 2, DCMJ, a leading cannabis advocacy and education organization that worked to successfully legalize cannabis in the District of Columbia (D.C.), will hold two consecutive days of ‘Bring It Home’ civil demonstrations and free cannabis giveaways in D.C. at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Monday, 4/2), the D.C. Housing Authority (Monday, 4/2), and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Tuesday, 4/3) to raise awareness of current cannabis prohibition policies that prevent veterans, the disabled and economically challenged from having cannabis in their own homes. On Wednesday, April 4th, DCMJ will also fire-up an online ‘Tweet Storm,’ highlighting U.S. Department of Education policies that prevent on-campus students from using cannabis, even for medicinal purposes.
Cannabis is a plant scientifically proven less harmful than alcohol and tobacco (two legal substances under federal law). Today, the plant currently resides under a Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act (the same classification as heroin). However, numerous scientific studies show that in states with comprehensive cannabis programs, U.S. hospitals treat far fewer opioid users, and according to another study, cannabis use was associated with a 64% decrease in opioid use in patients with chronic pain.
“No sense in sugarcoating it—cannabis prohibition places big-prison revenues first and Americans last,” said DCMJ Co-founder Adam Eidinger. “The federal government is decimating the rights of U.S. veterans, students, the disabled, and our nation’s economically struggling. The home should be a safe place, where you can make decisions to improve your quality of life. People shouldn’t be persecuted, imprisoned or kicked out of their home for using cannabis, a plant less harmful than a six-pack.”
DCMJ’s Bring It Home campaign will work to better educate the public on cannabis prohibition policies that trample on the rights of Americans. Even when veterans, the disabled, economically challenged and on-campus students live in locations where cannabis is legal, many are prevented from having cannabis in their home. DCMJ’s demonstrations are the first to highlight how cannabis prohibition policies deny entire groups of people the choice to access to safer medical and health and wellness treatments.
“Treating these individuals like second-class citizens is unconscionable,” said DCMJ Co-founder Nikolas Schiller. “If you ask yourself who benefits from cannabis prohibition, it won’t be veterans, the disabled, students or people living in public housing. Lining the pockets of big-prison-fat-cats while individuals, families and communities are denied the ability to make informed decisions is a dangerous policy that Americans want overturned. It’s time politicians listened.”