Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer Vapes Cannabis in Public
In West Hollywood, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, the California assemblyman for the 59th district was the first Statesman to smoke Cannabis in public. (PRNewsfoto/Delta-9)
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]n a historical first, an elected California statesman has publicly consumed cannabis while in office. On May 3, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer vaped a Delta-9 vape pen at a fundraiser with a little help from Melissa Etheridge.
It’s been nearly 40 years since the last time Jones-Sawyer indulged in some cannabis. “During the discussion, it was discovered that the Assemblyman hadn’t smoked cannabis since 1979!” a press release from Delta-9 read. “With that said, Melissa needed to school the 59th district Assemblyman on the new ways of the weed before they started to use Delta-9’s stylish vape pen.”
Etheridge schooled Jones-Sawyer on how to properly hit a vape pen, generating a round of applause from the audience. Jones-Sawyer compared it to the quality of cannabis that was available in 1979. After they vaped, Etheridge played a fantastic rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.
Etheridge began using medical cannabis in 2004 for a variety of reasons. “Cannabis during chemotherapy was just a lifesaver,” Etheridge told CULTURE in 2010. “It was a pain reliever; it gave me my appetite back; it settled my stomach from all the gastric napalm going on inside of me. And it also brings a lot of clarity to understanding what disease is. The benefits go on and on and on and on.”
The fundraiser took place at 11:11 venue in West Hollywood. Delta-9 Founder Mark Adams covered the therapeutic effects of his multi-cannabinoid vape pen, citing the entourage effect that is achieved by consuming multiple cannabinoids. Several board members of The Southern California Coalition were in attendance including Ryan Jennemann from THC design.
Jones-Sawyer’s move is a reflection of how far the medical cannabis movement has come in 2018. It’s helping to encourage other elected officials to publicly take a stand on cannabis reform.
