Marijuana dispensary offers free, pre-rolled joints to anyone who gets the COVID-19 vaccine

A Michigan marijuana dispensary has come up with a unique and rather compelling means to encourage Michiganders to roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine. Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a recreational and medical dispensary in Oakland Count, is the company behind the "Pot for Shots" promotion which promises to give a free, pre-rolled joint to anyone who provides written proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccine. This promotion comes in the midst of rising worry that many Americans aren't keen on getting vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus.

"Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of getting the COVID-19 Vaccination as we as a community battle this horrible pandemic," Jerry Millen, the founder and owner of Greenhouse of Walled Lake, said in a statement to Click On Detroit. "'POT FOR SHOTS' is our way of showing our commitment in assisting helping the community get back to normalcy. We support the safe and responsible use of Cannabis and hope this is the beginning of the end of this insidious pandemic." The COVID-19 vaccination promotion for the free joints will run from January 22 through February 28.

The company announced the promotion via an Instagram post displaying pre-rolled "Pot for Shots" joints. "Beginning this Friday and running until the end of February, The Greenhouse is running a 'Pot for Shots' giveaway! Come by starting Friday and show your proof of vaccination and get a free [UBaked] pre-roll! We're all hoping that the Covid vaccine is the beginning of the end for this pandemic that has taken such a toll on our neighbors, our communities, and our nation," it captioned the post. "If you choose to get the Covid vaccine (we always support the freedom of choice) this is our way of saying 'thank you' for helping to end this pandemic and getting us back to normal."

Michiganders aren't the only ones who've been offered this opportunity as, according to Forbes, cannabis activists in Washington, DC are also planning to offer a free bag of marijuana to those receiving the vaccine for COVID-19. The free cannabis giveaway, dubbed 'Joints for Jabs,' is being organized by the group DC Marijuana Justice and will reportedly launch when vaccine clinics open in the nation’s capital. Through the promotion, activists hope to highlight the need for further cannabis policy reform at the national and local level while also bringing awareness to the importance of equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We are looking for ways to safely celebrate the end of the pandemic and we know nothing brings people together like cannabis," Nikolas Schiller, the group's co-founder, said in a press release. "DCMJ believes that cannabis should be consumed safely and responsibly, and the pandemic has made this incredibly difficult for many adults to share their homegrown cannabis. When enough adults are inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine, it will be time to celebrate – not just the end of the pandemic, but the beginning of the end of cannabis prohibition in the United States."

Dozens of home cannabis cultivators will reportedly celebrate the distribution of vaccines to the general public by handing out free bags of marijuana outside vaccination centers. Locations and times of the Joints for Jabs giveaways will be announced after DCMJ has more information about local vaccination sites. Adam Eidinger, another DCMJ co-founder, said that he hopes that the promotion increases traffic to the city's vaccination centers while also serving as an educational opportunity for those unconvinced of the medical value of marijuana. Eidinger has similar hopes about members of the cannabis community as well. "If you believe in the science that supports medical cannabis, you should believe the science that supports the efficacy of the vaccine," Eidinger told DCist, addressing their skepticism towards today's medicine.