Culture
Lots Of Politicians And Companies Are Tweeting About Marijuana On 4/20
It’s 4/20 again, and that means another slew of tweets from politicians and mainstream brands looking to use the marijuana holiday as a hook to get their message out.
Here’s a roundup of some of the best, funniest, most important or otherwise notable cannabis-related tweets of the day…
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a presidential candidate:
As we work to legalize marijuana nationwide, we’ve got to also ensure equity in the marijuana industry. Communities that have been historically targeted by the failed War on Drugs can't be left out of opportunities to participate in the legal marijuana economy.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 20, 2019
The Marijuana Justice Act wouldn’t just legalize marijuana—it would expunge the records of millions of people who have been hurt by the War on Drugs.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 20, 2019
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a presidential candidate:
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans—and a majority of both Republicans and Democrats—support marijuana legalization.
The American people agree. It is time our federal government listens. We must end the criminalization of marijuana in this country.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 19, 2019
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), a presidential candidate:
It’s time we legalize marijuana at the federal level and restore justice to our communities. Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. We must reverse this trend.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 20, 2019
Marijuana laws have not been applied & enforced in the same way for all people. Too many lives have been ruined by these regressive policies and while more states are moving to legalize marijuana through ballot initiatives, it is not enough. Time to legalize at the federal level. pic.twitter.com/W5f34h4I8Y
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 20, 2019
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a presidential candidate:
65% of Americans agree: We have to legalize marijuana.
It's critical to dismantling mass incarceration and institutional racism, and to achieving fundamental justice. https://t.co/PHMqorrZ3q
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) April 20, 2019
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a presidential candidate:
Legalizing marijuana is a basic question of fairness & freedom for the American people. We must legalize marijuana, expunge the records of those w/ marijuana possession charges/convictions & hold Big Pharma accountable for the opioid epidemic that has killed thousands #420
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) April 20, 2019
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a presidential candidate:
Happy 4/20! Here's my stance on marijuana: pic.twitter.com/BFFntUbKiR
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 21, 2019
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), a presidential candidate:
“O’Rourke said the influence of money can be seen in the criminal justice system, because people are jailed for using non-addictive drugs like marijuana, but Purdue Pharma executives who had a hand in marketing dangerous opioids are not serving jail time.” https://t.co/Lvw3csHk1v
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 20, 2019
Former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK), a presidential candidate:
*for tobacco use only, of course
— Mike Gravel (@MikeGravel) April 20, 2019
Mike Gravel is running this #420 to end the war on drugs! Watch the campaign's official 42020 video and donate $1 (or $4.20) to help us shift the conversation.#Gravel420 #Gravelanche pic.twitter.com/WYpvG33lKW
— Mike Gravel (@MikeGravel) April 20, 2019
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D), a presidential candidate:
Our nation’s current drug laws are counterproductive, fueling racial disparities and drug wars. I’m proud of my state’s progressive policies on this issue. Now let’s legalize marijuana nationwide.pic.twitter.com/7QOZTxD17Q
— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) April 20, 2019
Last year, I offered pardons to 3,500 eligible people who have a single conviction on their records for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Now, let’s legalize marijuana nationwide. https://t.co/ng0wo8LAdA
— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) April 20, 2019
It’s time. Let’s legalize marijuana nationwide. pic.twitter.com/uuJdruqVGx
— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) April 20, 2019
Former San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julián Castro (D), a presidential candidate:
It’s not enough just to say we want to #LegalizeIt. We will also regulate it, taking best practices of states that have successfully legalized marijuana. And while we’re at it, we’ll expunge the records of folks who’ve been incarcerated for using it. pic.twitter.com/z7JZyz9PPP
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) April 20, 2019
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang:
I’m for full legalization of marijuana. I would go a step further and on 4/20, 2021, exactly 2 years from today, I would pardon everyone who’s in jail for a low-level, non-violent marijuana offense and I would high five them on their way out of jail. 👍 pic.twitter.com/Q8txZNa2I1
— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) April 20, 2019
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY):
Last year, I introduced the Marijuana Freedom & Opportunity Act.
It would end federal prohibition & provide opportunities for minority-owned businesses & communities to benefit from de-criminalization.
I’ll re-introduce it with a special new cosponsor when Congress re-convenes.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 21, 2019
House Committee on Small Business:
Today, the Committee is examining the small business perspective in the cannabis industry.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
The legalization of cannabis has the potential to invigorate our national economy. Already the industry registered $8 billion in sale in 2017, with sales estimated to reach $23 billion by 2022.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
States have recognized the change and have moved to legalize cannabis in different forms. Below is a detailed map of state marijuana laws (current as of February 2019). Credit: @FSCDems pic.twitter.com/iQr31QTDCI
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
There are now more than 211,000 full-time jobs in the legal American cannabis industry. When indirect and induced jobs are added, that figure reaches nearly 300,000. CREDIT: @Leafly
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
Legalization of cannabis has an impact on state economies as well. In states where cannabis is legal, new tax revenue streams and filling state coffers. In the first year of legalized sales in California, the state collected $345.2 million in new tax revenue. pic.twitter.com/YvGF9WX0AF
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
Though more states are moving to legalize recreational cannabis and new businesses are flourishing across the country, we must ensure those communities disproportionally impacted by criminalization of cannabis are able to fully participate and benefit from the growing industry.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
Cannabis small businesses encounter the same access to credit issues that many other small businesses face. We must ensure those interested in entering the sector in states where it’s legal, are able to access credit similar to other new startups.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
The high cost of entry is a barrier for many entrepreneurs. It's estimated that the start-up costs for a small dispensary range between $250,000 to $750,000. This & regulatory uncertainty, have created both racial and wealth inequalities in the cannabis industry.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
We must take the necessary steps to ensure all have a level playing field in this growing sector.
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) April 20, 2019
Congressional Black Caucus:
Today is 4/20, a day increasingly marked around the nation as an unofficial cannabis holiday. Join @RepBarbaraLee and #MarijuanaJustice advocates as we use this day as a CALL TO ACTION for equity and restorative, especially for communities of color.
— Black Caucus (@OfficialCBC) April 20, 2019
Three bills have been introduced by @RepBarbaraLee to end cannabis prohibition, bar feds from interfering in state cannabis programs and encourage reforms that help communities of color participate in the cannabis industry. We need #MarijuanaJustice pic.twitter.com/mv6WRHIEdX
— Black Caucus (@OfficialCBC) April 20, 2019
The Marijuana Justice Act would reform drug laws by descheduling marijuana & ensuring that profits from the legal cannabis industry get re-invested into low-income & communities of color that have been devastated by unequal marijuana law enforcement. #MarijuanaJustice pic.twitter.com/ktqyBaH48J
— Black Caucus (@OfficialCBC) April 20, 2019
Less than ONE PERCENT of the cannabis industry is owned or operated by people of color. The RESPECT Resolution encourages policy reforms to help communities of color take part in the growing cannabis industry. #MarijuanaJustice
— Black Caucus (@OfficialCBC) April 20, 2019
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV):
April 20th seems like a good day to point out that Nevada’s booming marijuana industry has brought new jobs and a wave of revenue to our state. I joined the #SAFEBankingAct to give cannabis businesses access to financial services and take our economy to new highs!
— Senator Jacky Rosen (@SenJackyRosen) April 20, 2019
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR):
The movement is cresting and the public is behind us.
On this 4/20, we can say that the end of the prohibition of cannabis is in sight. https://t.co/NOXLnDXuHH
— Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) April 20, 2019
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN):
Cannabis criminalization disproportionately impacts communities of color. We must finally legalize cannabis nationwide and expunge records for those incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses. https://t.co/C8jhxlWAgW
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 20, 2019
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA):
On #420, millions will gather to celebrate marijuana. But for many, it’s just another painful reminder of our nation’s discriminatory practices. My Marijuana Justice Act would reform our outdated marijuana laws while providing restorative justice to communities of color.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) April 20, 2019
As millions of Americans celebrate 4/20 today, millions more are trapped in the criminal justice system for marijuana possession. #MarijuanaJustice https://t.co/VaCA3SIcJ4
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
The War on Drugs has devastated our communities and torn families apart for far too long. It’s time to reform our system and enact real #MarijuanaJustice now. pic.twitter.com/OZ4w5sLtSN
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
Less than ONE PERCENT of the cannabis industry is owned or operated by people of color. The RESPECT Resolution encourages policy reforms to help communities of color take part in the growing cannabis industry. #MarijuanaJustice pic.twitter.com/tXihHDweY8
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
People are increasingly turning to cannabis for medicinal purposes – including our veterans. Instead of criminalizing safe cannabis use, we should be making it easier to access for those who need it the most. #MarijuanaJustice pic.twitter.com/6An9DKUG5E
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
The majority of cannabis related arrests are for non-violent possession, but people of color get disproportionately long sentences. What’s more, black people are 4x more likely to be arrested although black and white people use cannabis at comparable rates. #MarijuanaJustice pic.twitter.com/ZfVCte45yc
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
Less than 1% of licenses for legal marijuana businesses nationwide are held by African Americans. Check out this great @BlackEnterprise story on black cannabis entrepreneurs, featuring Oakland's own @bluntsandmoore. #Happy420 #marijuanajustice https://t.co/MpBuHzIXP0
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 20, 2019
It’s time to end cannabis prohibition, bar feds from interfering in state cannabis programs, and encourage reforms that help communities of color participate in the cannabis industry. We need #MarijuanaJustice. pic.twitter.com/AXX72XbJKG
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) April 21, 2019
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA):
As corporations profit from legal weed, people of color continue to get arrested for using cannabis.
We need to follow the will of the people to end prohibition, expunge prior offenses & reinvest in the communities that have been impacted by decades of failed drug war policies. pic.twitter.com/65iGhvca5C
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) April 20, 2019
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL):
LEGAL Florida cannabis revenue worth $1 billion by 2020 – yet outdated federal law means ALL CASH business, putting employees/owners at greater risk of being robbed. Last week, I asked Sec Mnuchin to do more to tackle this public safety issue! #SAFEBankingAct @AppropsDems @NORML pic.twitter.com/7Xg51mrg1M
— Rep. Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) April 20, 2019
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN):
The Marijuana Justice Act would reform drug laws, deschedule #marijuana & ensure profits from the legal #cannabis industry get re-invested into low-income & communities of color that have been devastated by the unequal marijuana law enforcement. #MarijuanaJustice #420 pic.twitter.com/C6t3fjydX8
— Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) April 20, 2019
4:20 est on 4/20/2019
— Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) April 20, 2019
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM):
Recreational marijuana is one of the industries that can open up a whole new economy for our state & the jobs that come with it. At the same time, legalization would keep our criminal justice system from targeting nonviolent offenders #LegalizeIt https://t.co/FDs8D2MNM5
— Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) April 20, 2019
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D):
“More than half of Republicans (56 percent) now think marijuana use should be legal — the first time a majority of them has supported it in CBS News Polls.” https://t.co/qPpvMX9n9W.
This is 100% consistent with what we’ve been seeing on our listening tour in 🔴 County PA.— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) April 20, 2019
Los Angeles, California City Council President Herb Wesson (D):
Wishing a #Happy420 to all those observing it. For those in Los Angeles, here are a few tips from the Department of Cannabis Regulation's Executive Director Cat Packer on how to make sure you’re celebrating safely and responsibly. pic.twitter.com/hFD0a2PnwU
— L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson (@HerbJWesson) April 20, 2019
Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (D):
Today I spoke at the Chicago Cannabis Health Fair about the reforms the @CookCountySAO has implemented to move away from prosecuting most possession cases. It's important that we continue to reframe our thinking around marijuana and how charges effect vulnerable populations. pic.twitter.com/ijEhCtr4Sb
— Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) April 20, 2019
The American Civil Liberties Union:
ALL personal drug use and possession should be decriminalized.https://t.co/LC9g0nRSWx pic.twitter.com/iZTKmISbxN
— ACLU (@ACLU) April 20, 2019
Don’t miss out on today’s one-day 420 bundle🌳⤵️https://t.co/LC9g0nAhxX pic.twitter.com/7xiLbzx20h
— ACLU (@ACLU) April 20, 2019
Ben & Jerry’s:
It’s hard to celebrate 4/20 when so many people of color are still being arrested for pot. We have to do better. Learn more: https://t.co/DPCcqND0SI pic.twitter.com/fLsngGteOF
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 20, 2019
Denny’s:
do we sell edibles? buddy, all our food is edible.
— Denny's (@DennysDiner) April 20, 2019
Hidden Valley Ranch:
✨GIVEAWAY✨ Get Blasted this 4/20! We're giving 5 winners FREE Blasted for a year and a $250 food delivery gift card so you can get blasted anywhere, anytime. It’s always Ranch O’ Clock somewhere.
How to enter:
1️⃣ Follow us
2️⃣ RT this post #HVRlove pic.twitter.com/2PDBk9ETCo— Hidden Valley Ranch (@HVRanch) April 20, 2019
Carl’s Jr.:
4/20 Only: We're dropping our Rocky Mountain High Cheese Burger Delight with CBD infused Santa Fe sauce only at one Denver location #rockymountainhigh pic.twitter.com/GZKR8SD6Uw
— Carl’s Jr. (@CarlsJr) April 20, 2019
Boston Market:
All joking aside, tomorrow only buy one Pot Pie & a drink and get one Pot Pie FREE. https://t.co/0I4ZYfc4gf
— Boston Market (@bostonmarket) April 19, 2019
George Washington’s Mount Vernon:
Did George Washington really grow hemp? Find out on #420day: https://t.co/2OpoS2vTpb pic.twitter.com/JKGUvzRG5Y
— Mount Vernon (@MountVernon) April 20, 2019
Bill Maher:
Happy 420 everybody!!! And remember kids, you do not need drugs to have a good time. But why take chances?
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) April 20, 2019
Miley Cyrus:
HAPPY 4/20!!! pic.twitter.com/EqPBK1rOF3
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 20, 2019
311:
Happy 420 from Colorado! @pnut #RockyMountainHigh #multitasking (photo @311Kimbo) pic.twitter.com/O9Wzuv29pB
— 311 (@311) April 20, 2019
The Onion:
84% Support Marijuana Legalization https://t.co/Yap16oVP5p #WhatDoYouThink? pic.twitter.com/F7QbqL1q4h
— The Onion (@TheOnion) April 20, 2019
Ben & Jerry’s Stands Out From Companies Just Trying To Make Money From 4/20
Katherine from New Hampshire has a novel idea to stave off nuclear war: fly over sites where the weapons are being developed and release a marijuana mist so that the workers will “chill out” and lose interest in creating the missiles.
During an open phone segment of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Wednesday, the viewer laid out her vision for world peace to a visibly amused Pedro Echevarria, host of the program.
“I have a comment, and I don’t know how it could be done, but I was thinking we could spray a marijuana-Prozac or peace-happy-friendly chemical mist over sites in Iran and North Korea, where they’re working to produce nuclear weapons,” she said. “And the mist would cause the workers at these sites in Iran and North Korea to chill out and become less interested in making nuclear missiles.”
“The world needs to relax and take deep breaths and be into good days instead of destruction and death, and that’s what they should be talking about,” she said.
Echevarria declined to comment on the proposal and turned to the next caller, who did not follow up about the cannabis chemtrail idea and instead chatted about socialism.
Presidential Candidate Jokes About Why Denver Decriminalized Psychedelic Mushrooms
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
Police released body camera footage of a 69-year-old woman being arrested at a Florida amusement park for possessing CBD oil without a state medical cannabis card on Tuesday.
Hester Burkhalter, a grandmother who suffers from arthritis, was arrested after an off duty sheriff’s deputy discovered the oil in her purse at a checkpoint at Disney’s Magic Kingdom last month in a case that made headlines around the world.
The newly released video shows Burkhalter being handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car, where she began to feel claustrophobic and said, “I can’t breathe. I feel like I’m going to pass out.” One deputy said that she threw up, according to News 6.
Burkhalter, who says her doctor in Tennessee recommended CBD, later spent 12 hours in custody and was released on a $2,000 bond.
Burkhalter requested to be transported to the jail alone, as opposed to being transported along with another individual who was arrested for possession of a cannabis vaporizer, and a deputy made a call to accommodate her. She was allowed to be taken to the facility in the front seat of a separate patrol car.
“The older female said she gets claustrophobic, and feels like she’s going to pass out, and wants somebody else so she can go by herself,” the deputy said on a call.
Once she was in the front seat with air conditioning on, she said she felt better and thanked the deputy.
“I couldn’t breathe back there,” she reiterated.
When the arrest was first reported, reform advocates condemned the park and sheriff’s department for subjecting an older woman to an arrest on a family vacation for simple possession of a non-intoxicating compound that is known to treat pain and inflammation.
CBD is legal for medical purposes in Florida, but individuals must be registered to possess medical cannabis in the state. Hemp-derived CBD was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet developed regulatory guidelines allowing for its lawful marketing as a food item or supplement.
Prosecutors dropped the charges against Burkhalter earlier this month, finding her case unsuitable for prosecution. She’s since announced plans to file a lawsuit against Disney and the sheriff’s department.
“Horrific treatment that they placed upon this church-going, law-abiding grandmother,” her lawyer said at a press conference.
In a similarly confounding recent case, a 72-year-old woman was arrested at a Texas airport after security discovered CBD oil. She was charged with a felony that carried a maximum sentence of 20 years, and she stayed in custody for two days.
“To be honest, I did not even think about the possibility of my CBD being illegal or being challenged,” Lena Bartula, who was going to visit family in Oregon, said. “It is such an integral part of my wellness that it got thrown into my bag along with Vitamin C and oregano oil.”
“Had I thought about it, I would have remembered that I could buy it in Portland,” she said.
The charges in that case were also dropped about two months after the arrest.
In other recent cannabis enforcement action called out as excessive by reform advocates, Missouri police officers searched through the belongings of a man with stage-four pancreatic cancer in March after a security guarded reported the smell of marijuana.
The officers found nothing, but video of the search sparked public outrage over the harassing behavior of the officers toward a sick man who said he does benefit from medical cannabis.
Video: Missouri Police Search Cancer Patient’s Bags For Marijuana In Hospital Room
Photo courtesy of YouTube.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) joked on Thursday that Denver voters approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms because they thought the state of Colorado was running low on marijuana.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate made the remark during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. The host asked Bennet if it was “true that magic mushrooms are going to be legal in Colorado.”
(The measure actually simply decriminalizes psilocybin mushrooms for adults, and only in the city of Denver.)
Bennet slapped his knee and quipped, “I think that our voters just voted to get Denver to do that, and I think they might’ve thought that we were out of marijuana all of a sudden.”
“And by the way, we’re not out of marijuana in Colorado,” he said.
“That’s what it says on the state flag now, right?” Meyers said.
“Yeah, exactly,” Bennet replied.
The senator, who previously served as the superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, has cosponsored several wide-ranging cannabis bills in Congress, including legislation to federally deschedule marijuana and penalize states that enforce cannabis laws in a discriminatory way.
But before his state voted to legalize marijuana in 2012, Bennet stood opposed.
It’s not clear how he voted on Denver’s historic psilocybin initiative.
At least Bennet is aware of the measure and was willing to joke about it, though. Several of his colleagues who have worked on cannabis issues declined to weigh in on decriminalizing psychedelics when asked by Marijuana Moment recently.
Photo courtesy of YouTube/Late Night with Seth Meyers.
