Hundreds of activists smoke cannabis outside the White House to call for legalisation

Hundreds of people smoked marijuana outside the White House in a protest urging President Barack Obama to legalise cannabis. The  mass action was headed up by DCMJ, a pro-marijuana group based in Washington, and began around 4:20 pm local time, alluding to the special relationship between the number 420 and cannabis. The activists lit up joints, vaporisers and pipes all at the same time, with little response from the Secret Service and local police on hand. They also inflated a plastic cigarette measuring over 15 meters with the message "Obama, Decriminalize Marijuana Now," an object created by a group of artists especially for the occasion.

Hey Obama, Deschedule Cannabis Now! #DEschedule420 pic.twitter.com/DoBjqJSVGf

- DCMJ (@DCMJ2014) 2 de abril de 2016

No protesters were arrested during the demonstration, as they used the regulations to their advantage: they remained on the street (District property, where marijuana possession is legal) and avoided the sidewalks (owned by the federal government, which can punish the possession of marijuana with fines ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 USD, and prison sentences from 15 days to three years).

The march ended at the corner of K Street NW and Vermont Avenue, where organisers exhibited a mock cell to protest those jailed for marijuana-related offenses. And they rolled out a banner reading "Prison is not a drug policy."

We're in front of the White House! Join us! #Reschedule420 pic.twitter.com/auvAj7utnN

- DCMJ (@DCMJ2014) 2 de abril de 2016

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defines Schedule I drug as "the most dangerous kind, with a high potential for abuse and psychological damage and / or physical dependence." The use and sale of such substances can be pursued "aggressively" under the law. Obama has the authority to remove marijuana from the Schedule I list without approval by Congress, so the activists addressed the US President directly. 

Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III substance, for example, would restore access to student loans and public housing by those convicted of having used it, and allow marijuana businesses in states where the substance is legal to deduct expenses. 

Among the presidential candidates, only Bernie Sanders has said he would remove marijuana from the Schedule I drug list and the candidate has also presented a bill to eliminate federal penalties for possession and growing, which would allow states to set their own laws for recreational use.