June Zoom Sesh

Join us for our next Zoom Sesh on June 26nd, at 8PM. We’ll be discussing the latest updates on cannabis legislation in Annapolis and organizing for our upcoming ‘Question 4 Seed Score’ event happening on July 1. 

We will be providing important updates on the current state of cannabis laws in Maryland, including any recent developments or changes that may impact the cannabis community.

We’ll also be hosting a statewide seed share, where we will have the opportunity to connect with the cannabis community by giving away free cannabis seeds on the first day of legalization. (For folks who plan on volunteering on July 1, it’s important that you attend these meetings so we can better organize.)

Whether you’re a seasoned cannabis grower or an advocate for legalization, (or both!) this event will be a great way to connect with like-minded individuals and stay up-to-date on the latest cannabis news. So mark your calendars and join us for this exciting meeting!

To receive the agenda and Zoom link, please register here: bit.ly/3HaGZFD

Register for the upcoming Question 4 Seed Score here — http://bit.ly/3iSqUMf)

On the day of the Zoom Sesh, be sure to double check your spam folder because we have been informed that a few of our invite emails have unfortunately ended up there in the past. It doesn’t hurt to search for “MDMJ.org” because the email might show up with that search.

Questions or suggested agenda items? Please email info@mdmj.org

Question 4 Seed Score Hosted by MDMJ

Hey Maryland! It’s time to LEGALLY score some cannabis seeds! 

Saturday, July 1, 2023 marks the first day of cannabis legalization in the Free State of Maryland. In honor of this momentous occasion, MDMJ is hosting The Question 4 Seed Score to facilitate personal home cultivation of cannabis permitted under the new law. This will be Maryland residents’ opportunity to share seeds with other adults and start down the path of legally growing your own cannabis in the safety and privacy of your home.

Please register here to participate – bit.ly/3iSqUMf

The Question 4 Seed Score will be be taking place at multiple locations throughout the state. We hope to find one location in every county. We will announce the exact locations via email 1 day before the event, so make sure you register to receive the email.

MDMJ is looking for seed and clone donors and people that would like to host the seed share. If you’re interested, please sign up here – bit.ly/3iSqUMf

To ensure we have as many seeds and clones to give away, we are looking for as many donors as possible.

Can you provide support or volunteer your time on this historic day? Please sign up here: bit.ly/3iSqUMf

MDMJ will be planning monthly Zoom Sesh’s. Our next Zoom Sesh is scheduled for June 12th, so be sure to register here – bit.ly/3HaGZFD

Seed you there! 

INVITE: First Zoom Sesh of 2023 (2/27/23)

Throughout 2023 MDMJ is hosting periodic online gatherings. Our next Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 6:00pm on Monday, February 27, 2023We’d love for you to join us!

To join the Zoom Sesh, please click here to register (required!). You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends.

We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email info@MDMJ.org

Press Release: Don’t Be A Turkey, Pardon Cannabis Prisoners

president Biden pardon cannabis prisoners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 17, 2022

CONTACTS:
Nikolas Schiller, 202-643-3878
Kris Furnish, 720-607-8369
Press@DCMJ.org

Don’t Be A Turkey, Pardon Cannabis Prisoners

“Marijuana” Reform Groups Call on President Biden to Pardon Over 2,800 Federal Cannabis Prisoners, Not Turkeys.


WASHINGTON, DC — Pardoning turkeys before Thanksgiving has been an annual tradition at the White House since the Kennedy administration. This year DC Marijuana Justice (DCMJ), Maryland Marijuana Justice (MDMJ), Virginia Marijuana Justice (VAMJ), and New York Marijuana Justice (NYMJ) call on President Biden to show some grace for the 2,800 people serving time in federal prison for cannabis “crimes” and pardon cannabis inmates instead of pardoning turkeys.

“There are people serving life sentences for cannabis, and we want the President to honor his commitment to release everyone in prison for cannabis now,” says Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ and proposer of Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis in the District of Columbia in 2014. “These prisoners should be freed and allowed to come home for the holidays.”

Very few Americans are federally charged with “simple possession of cannabis” and none were serving time when the executive order was announced. “Just like the annual turkey pardon is ceremonial, so was President Biden’s recent marijuana pardon announcement in October,” said Kris Furnish, co-founder of MDMJ.  

“The turkeys that President Biden will pardon have names. So do the thousands of cannabis prisoners stuck in both federal and state jails.” says Nikolas Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ and founder of NYMJ. “We call on the President to go one step further and pardon Americans for all cannabis offenses such as distribution and cultivation. It’s these prisoners who need President Biden’s pardon the most,” concludes Schiller.

Cannabis reform advocates, including members from the Marijuana Justice Groups, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Last Prisoner Project, gathered outside the White House last month to call on President Biden to do more but the administration has done nothing further. Advocates believe that President Biden’s performative inaction is condemnable because the majority of Americans agree that cannabis should be federally legal, and people are serving unjustly long sentences for nonviolent cannabis “offenses”. 

“Pardoning turkeys instead of humans is offensive,” says RachelRamone Donlan, co-founder of VAMJ, who helped pass legalized cannabis in the Commonwealth. “There are thousands of human beings locked inside of cages, some serving life sentences for what is now legal, and it’s time for them to come home.”  

The power of pardoning has been used since George Washington, and was originally intended to right a wrong. It’s not a joke to those that desperately hope President Biden will keep his promises. 

“Although the American ceremony of pardoning turkeys is typically seen as a warm, lighthearted and well-loved, seasonal tradition, please remember families are missing their loved ones at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day because they are incarcerated, as our president mocks a power that could ultimately unite these families,” said Eidinger. “There is nothing that we want more than to see President Biden keep his promises so that families can reunite and be together on Thanksgiving Day and everyday.”

Last year, at the annual turkey pardon, President Biden made the following remark concerning COVID, however, it rings true for bringing cannabis prisoners home.

“In all seriousness, it’s important to continue traditions like this to remind us how from the darkness, there’s light and hope and progress and – that’s what this year’s Thanksgiving, in my view, represents. So many of us will be gathering with our loved ones for the first time in a long time. And we’ll be reconnecting with traditions, with our tables and our hearts full of grace and gratitude for everyone who made it possible.” 

Unlike COVID, which we have very little power over, President Biden has full power to bring cannabis prisoners home.

# # #

Click here to download a PDF of this press release

MDMJ’s Statement on President Biden’s Pardon Pledge

STATEMENT FROM MDMJ

ON

PRESIDENT BIDEN’S

CANNABIS PARDON PLEDGE

Today’s announcement by President Biden is a seminal moment for cannabis reform in the United States. We applaud the White House for taking steps to undo the harms of the drug war for some people convicted of simple possession of cannabis.

However, we also call upon the President to do more. Very few Americans are federally charged with simple possession of cannabis and even fewer remain behind bars. In fact, there is no one currently in federal jail for simple cannabis possession. We call on the President to go one step further and pardon Americans convicted of other nonviolent cannabis offenses such as distribution and cultivation. It’s these prisoners who need President Biden’s pardon the most.

With respect to working with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice on rescheduling cannabis out of Schedule I, we call on the President to work with Congress to completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Moving cannabis to Schedule II, where it would join cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, will still perpetuate the failed war on drugs and continue to allow adults to be arrested for possession, consumption, distribution, and cultivation. Simply put, we want cannabis to be entirely descheduled. As a natural plant, we believe cannabis should have never been placed in the CSA.

Earlier this week MDMJ, along with our sister chapters in DC, Virginia, and New York, had called upon President Biden to release 100 cannabis prisoners this month or we would join Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Last Prisoner Project in a series of demonstrations on October 24. This demonstration has not been canceled due to today’s announcement.

We are unaware of 100 cannabis prisoners being released at this time. Moreover, the demonstrations will continue to highlight the need for the White House to fully deschedule cannabis and the Democratic Party to take cannabis reform seriously. Like we seriously want Congress to pass full legalization and we seriously want to see the names of all cannabis prisoners who are being released. Today there are many cannabis growers and entrepreneurs who remain locked up because they were not charged with simple cannabis possession, but with cultivation and distribution. They used the plant to help feed their families and to help terminally-ill friends, and are considered heroes to many cannabis activists. They deserve pardons too.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 19, we are linking up with our sister groups for a special Zoom Sesh. Biden’s recent announcement will be one of our topics of discussion. Please put it on your calendar and join us!

WHO: Supporters of Releasing Cannabis Prisoners
WHAT: DCMJ / MDMJ / VAMJ / NYMJ Zoom Sesh – Civil Disobedience Edition
WHEN: 7pm EST, October 19, 2022
WHERE: Zoom (Click here to Register!)
WHY: President Biden needs to uphold his campaign promise and immediately release at least 100 cannabis prisoners

SOCIALRSVP on Facebook

Biden, Keep Your Promise!

Biden Keep Your Promise!

Next month we are linking up with the Last Prisoner Project and Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) to conduct a series of actions aimed at pressuring President Biden to release the nation’s federal cannabis prisoners. We are seeking cannabis activists who are ready, willing, and able to escalate pressure on the president until all our cannabis prisoners are home.

The demand is simple: “Follow through on your campaign promise to release all cannabis prisoners or we will remind the nation of your creation of the problem through disrupting politics as usual across the country.”

Unless President Biden takes action next month, we plan to engage in non-violent civil disobedience in multiple waves on Monday, October 24 outside the White House and the Democratic Party National Headquarters. We hope you will join us!  

For more information check out the SSDP’s “Keep Your Promise” webpage.  For more information on the nuts and bolts of clemency work please visit the Last Prisoner Projects “Time to heal” page and join their letter writing campaign.

INVITE: December 7:10 Zoom Sesh

It’s been a while since we were all able to get together, and we miss you! We’ve got to get ready for next months rally in Annapolis! Join our December 710 Zoom Sesh 7:09pm on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. We’d love for you to join us!

To join the December 710 Zoom Sesh, please click here to register (required!). You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 710 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email info@mdmj.org

INVITE: September 7:10 Zoom Sesh

Throughout the rest of 2021 MDMJ is hosting monthly online gatherings. Our next Zoom Sesh is scheduled to commence at 7:10pm on Wednesday, September 22, 2021We’d love for you to join us!

To join the September Zoom Sesh, please click here to register (required!). You can help spread the word by RSVPing on Facebook and inviting some of your friends. We will send out a reminder email with the Zoom link and passcode to everyone who registers about one hour before the 7:10 Zoom Sesh begins. Questions or suggested Agenda items? Please email info@mdmj.org

Marijuana Legalization Advocates Announce Boycott in Response to Medical Cannabis Company’s Active Opposition to Law Reform

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — According to several public opinion polls conducted in recent years, a growing majority of Marylanders agree that providing adults access to cannabis under a regulated supply chain produces beHer public health and public safety outcomes than what we have in the unregulated legacy market.

A majority of legislators in the Maryland General Assembly also agree, but popular legalization proposals have failed to move forward.

“Our political institutions have failed us – we continue to have tens-of-thousands of racially biased possession arrests while the Assembly slow-walks reform,” said Luke Jones, Director of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “The reality is even worse when we consider all the avoidable encounters between marijuana consumers and police that don’t lead to an arrest. The general public is fed up with this outrageously expensive, harmful, and racist marijuana prohibition policy,” he said.

Marijuana legalization advocates have promoted reform for more than forty years nationally and have been organized at the state level since popular Baltimore City Mayor Kurt Schmoke helped bring the drug war reform conversation to Maryland in the 1980’s. After years of trying traditional legislative reform efforts on behalf of cannabis consumers and their families, activists have decided to change tactics and are now taking their fight for reform directly to industry insiders who boycott organizers say have an outsized impact on public policy and are actively preventing essential, popular policy reforms.

“We are asking all medical cannabis patients in Maryland to not purchase Culta-brand products during the month of April because Culta owner Mackie Barch is using his wealth and political influence to delay the arrival of expanded personal freedom for the average citizen. Maryland law should protect citizens, not investors. Our laws should facilitate safe business practices, not establish artificial monopolies,” said Jones. 

“Mackie Barch lives in one of the most affluent communities in the country and is represented in the General Assembly by Sen. Brian Feldman, a powerful member of the Senate, vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee, personal friends with Senate President Bill Ferguson, member of the General Assembly’s marijuana legalization work group, and sponsor of Senate Bill 708, a bill drafted by Mackie Barch to help assure limited competition in Maryland’s adult use cannabis market,” said Kris Furnish, co- founder of Maryland Marijuana Justice (MDMJ). “Political corruption, that’s what this is, plain and simple. The cannabis plant belongs to the people, and we should not face jail time if choose to grow our own cannabis instead of purchasing it from Mackie Barch,” she said.


Boycott organizers view current state law as clear evidence of a collusion between elected officials and medical cannabis business owners who curry financial and reputational influence on the legislative process at the expense of individual liberty and personal freedom. “Our laws should protect citizens and facilitate safe business practices, not establish artificial monopolies and compel consumers to purchase products they are perfectly capable of producing for themselves. We need the freedom to grow our own cannabis and to purchase products in a regulated market that has broad small business participation,” said Furnish.


“Mackie Barch is on the dole,” said Jones. “Mr. Barch has essentially admitted that Culta can’t survive without state-protected market access. He is the ring-leader and primary champion for the state licensed cannabis businesses seeking to maintain their state-sponsored monopoly status under the medical program and extend that favorable market position into the adult use market. Senate Bill 708 imposes statutory caps on the number of small businesses that can compete in the legal adult use cannabis market, and that approach is fundamentally unfair and un-American. Mackie Barch paid lobbyists like Vicente Sederberg LLC to develop that bill, and it shows how effective Mr. Barch has been at using his personal wealth and political connections to assure unfettered, state-protected access to marijuana consumers. It is protectionism, it is anti-American, and cannabis consumers won’t stand for it anymore,” said Jones.


Jones continued, “According to Maryland’s 2019 Uniform Crime Report, we had more than 15,000 marijuana possession arrests, all while the medical cannabis industry sells more than $46 million worth of marijuana products to consumers every month. This is evidence that our state policy is designed to serve the interests of industry investors who demand a return on their investments rather than serving the needs of Maryand citizens who live in constant fear of the police. Citizens don’t grow their own cannabis because they are afraid of their own government. Wealthy people like Mackie Barch who grow and sell marijuana receive special protections from the state, but consumers face jail time. Cannabis prohibition is bad public policy and it needs to end this year, not next year.”


Adults may legally buy and use marijuana in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington. Marijuana is also decriminalized in the District of Columbia.

Monday, March 22 is crossover, the last opportunity for the Maryland House of Delegates to move House Bill 32 to the Senate for consideration. Boycott organizers assert that the popular cannabis legalization proposal sponsored by Delegate Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s County) would become law if brought to the floor for a vote.

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