The Secret Service Didn’t Enjoy Protesters Waving An Inflatable Joint Near The White House

Even though marijuana use is becoming more and more accepted in the United States these days, we still have a long way to go before it loses its stigma legally. This is why there was a marijuana legalization protest at the White House on Sunday, which culminated in a conflict between the Secret Service and protesters over a 50-foot inflatable joint.

According to Vice News, the standoff lasted around half an hour when cops became concerned with protesters carrying the inflated joint to the White House. They initially put themselves between protesters and the joint, while both groups discussed whether the show could go on. Then, the Secret Service intervened:

The cops eventually yielded and passed the situation off to members of Secret Service, who blocked the giant fake doob from entering Lafayette Park in front of the White House for security reasons. Eidinger said the Secret Service claimed the inflatable, which had the words “Obama, deschedule cannabis now!” written on the side, created a “sniper issue.”

In other words, anybody wishing to cause violence where the president lives could take cover under this thing. Adam Eidinger, one of the protesters, said that the demonstrators recognized that: “We’re not here to be dangerous.”

The purpose of the protest was to get President Obama to take marijuana out of the Schedule I controlled substances category, which includes drugs that have “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Even though marijuana is widely used medically in the United States, classifying it as Schedule I means that it’s legally recognized as being as dangerous as heroin.

So to get their point across without getting arrested, the protesters deflated the joint and carried it as a banner into the park. At 4:20, hundreds of protesters engaged in a mass smokeout.

(via Vice News)