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The annual National Cannabis Festival makes its return to the Nation’s Capital next month, bringing together fans to enjoy stellar music and connect with advocates fighting for access to cannabis. Headling this year’s NCF will be 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and the Free Nationals along with other musical guests and speakers taking to the stage.
The National Cannabis Festival, co-founded by Caroline Phillips in 2015, is about much more than the consumption of cannabis and the music festival. For the seventh NCF, the entire week leading up to the festival will bring together business leaders in the cannabis space, patients, advocates, elected officials, and many more. The NCF will host a number of workshops and related activities all week long, and the festival will feature a collection of national and homegrown acts.
Local favorites and Go-Go legends Backyard Band, funk and soul band Everyday Everybody, cumbia band Cumbia Heights, DC-based production duo Foots and Cole, reggae band Nkula, and DJ Farrah Flosscett will join the aforementioned headliners onstage.
New this year, the NCF is launching 420 Food Week, patterning with area restaurants with specialized items to celebrate the event. More information on 420 Food Week and the entire National Cannabis Festival offerings will be featured below.
420 WEEK
● 420 Week begins the week leading up to the festival from April 15 – April 21. The week will include workshops, demonstrations, unique experiences, music, performing arts, comedy, and more, at venues across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The week also debuts 420 Food Week, a new addition to festival festivities, where visitors and Washingtonians alike can enjoy special menus and special offers from participating restaurants including Jerk At Nite, Little Miner Taco, H Street Country Club, and El Sol serving the best salty and sweet munchies across the DMV. On the day of the festival, the Munchies Zone is where guests will find some of these food vendors and more during the day’s happenings.
● The National Cannabis Policy Summit’s Congressional Forum on Thursday, April 20, assembles cannabis advocates, patients, business leaders, and policy experts for an afternoon of keynote addresses and discussions featuring Members of Congress in the Capitol Visitors Center’s Auditorium. Topics of discussion include expungement, banking, social equity, and paths to federal legalization. Join us for an afternoon of conversation and questions with elected officials addressing the most pressing questions around cannabis policy reform.
EDUCATION
In addition to the concert, the festival features six education pavilions covering topics, including: Wellness, Policy, Culture, Culinary, Grower’s World, and new this year, the Psychedelics education track. The pavilions invite attendees to participate in discussions on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, learn about legislative updates from state and federal advocates, hear from farming, tech, and culture influencers, re-focus their minds with yoga sessions, and more.
LOUNGES
● LGBTQIA+ Lounge, hosted by The Washington Blade, is a place for advocates and community members to gather, network, and share experiences.
● Seniors Lounge (for NCF’s “golden buds”) and the Veterans Pavilion hosted by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Balanced Veterans, return to serve as retreats for our special guests from the hustle and bustle of festivities.
Learn more about the National Cannabis Festival and additional programming by clicking here.
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Photo: NCF
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Source: Daniel Tadevosyan / Getty
Karon Blake, a 13-year-old middle school student in Washington, D.C., was shot and killed over the weekend for allegedly tampering with a vehicle. This week, the school community Blake attended is attempting to process the shocking moment with others calling for justice for the arrest of the person that carried out the shooting.
As reported by local outlet NBC 4 Washington, Karon Blake was a student at Brookland Middle School in Washington’s Northeast quadrant. According to a press release from Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting took place last Saturday (Jan. 7).
From the press release:
At approximately 3:56 am, members of the Fifth District responded to the listed location for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, the members located a juvenile male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.
Detectives’ investigation at the scene revealed that a male inside of a residence, at the listed location, heard noises and observed someone that appeared to be tampering with vehicles. The male resident went outside, armed with a registered firearm, to further investigate. There was an interaction between a juvenile male and the male resident. During the interaction, the male resident discharged his firearm striking the victim. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
As NBC 4 notes, members of the Brookland Middle School community are speaking out and offering support to Blake’s peers who might be affected by news of his passing. In the broader community, some are asking that criminal charges are levied against the unnamed resident who shot the firearm that ended Blake’s life. That same call has been growing across social media as well but MPD officials have yet to announce new developments regarding the investigation.
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Photo: Getty