4/20 celebration leads to 7 arrests by US Capitol Police
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U.S. Capitol Police arrested seven activists and confiscated about 1,000 joints from marijuana activists on Thursday during a 4/20 "celebration."
DCMJ, the Washington D.C.-based marijuana advocacy group that spearheaded the legalization of cannabis in the district, led its first annual Congressional #JointSession -- the group planned to pass out two joints per person to members of Congress, congressional staffers and anyone who obtained a congressional ID (and is over the age of 21) from noon until 4:20 p.m.
2 more arrests... 6 total.#JointSession420 #CUinCourt pic.twitter.com/knK7HT9nS1
β DCMJ π¨ππ¨ππ¨ππ¨ (@DCMJ2014) April 20, 2017
U.S. Capitol Police confirmed the arrests.
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Despite US Capitol Police twice confiscating their marijuana & 3 ppl arrested, @DCMJ2014 volunteers are back giving out joints. pic.twitter.com/WfKS8CWBaX
β Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) April 20, 2017
"Under federal law, it is unlawful to possess marijuana," U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. "As of 2:30 p.m., one adult male and two adult female arrestees were charged with possession with intent to distribute. Four adult females were charged with possession. They were taken to USCP Headquarters for processing."
βWe didnβt plan on getting arrested today -- we brought 1,227 joints to represent the cannabis reform bill H.R. 1227 -- and gave away a few hundred to congressional staffers before Capitol Police took it all away,β DCMJ Founder Nikolas Schiller told Fox News. βThis was meant to be a free speech event and was meant to influence members of Congress.β
US Capitol Police arrested @aeidinger #JointSession420 #CUinCourt pic.twitter.com/EQO78FddlS
β DCMJ π¨ππ¨ππ¨ππ¨ (@DCMJ2014) April 20, 2017
For cannibas aficionados, βWeed Dayβ is April 20, shortened to 4/20 -- a code-term for marijuana coined, according to several
reports, in 1971 by a group of California high school students who would meet at 4:20 p.m. every day after class to smoke pot.
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Join us for the 1st Annual #JointSession on 4/20, @NatlCannaFest on 4/22 & #Reschedule420 on Monday, 4/24! Details: https://t.co/YPaxhl2cFr pic.twitter.com/23e69Qgxn0
β DCMJ π¨ππ¨ππ¨ππ¨ (@DCMJ2014) April 10, 2017
The #JointSession event, according to DCMJ, was an effort to lobby members of Congress to encourage House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to reauthorize the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment which prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration from using funds to "interfere" with D.C. and state medical cannabis laws. The amendment expires on April 28.
Schiller told Fox News that DCMJ set up its demonstration on non-federal land near the Capitol.
βWe were on D.C. grounds, but Capitol Police invoked federal law,β Schiller said. βWe intend on fighting the charges.β
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DCMJ had scheduled a βsmoke-inβ on the Capitol steps on April 24, but Schiller told Fox News he was unsure whether that event would take place as planned.
βMondayβs event is up in the air,β Schiller said. βWe will see.β
Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.