Coronavirus: pop-up California vaccine clinic offers free marijuana with shots
- Free pre-rolled joints offered to first 150 residents to get vaccinated
- Vaccine incentives elsewhere have included free beer and doughnuts
Two Los Angeles community groups are encouraging residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 – by offering free marijuana.
As the Delta variant becomes the dominant strain of the coronavirus in California, grass roots organisations are innovating ways to encourage residents to get vaccinated – including one creative idea from the Long Beach Collective Association, a coalition of cannabis businesses, and Long Beach Forward, an advocacy organisation for low-income communities of colour.
In a pop-up event titled “Joints for Jabs” on July 24, the first 150 residents to get vaccinated will receive a token redeemable for a free pre-rolled marijuana joint, according to a news release. Participants must be 21 or older to receive a token.
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“We all want to have a safe summer and enjoy one another’s company even as the pandemic continues on and recreation opens up,” Long Beach Forward’s executive director, James Suazo, said in a statement.
“Cannabis is part of our Long Beach culture, and to safely share a joint without contributing to the spread of Covid-19, we must all do our part to get vaccinated.
“With the Delta variant becoming the dominant Covid-19 strain in Los Angeles County, we want our unvaccinated neighbours to catch a free marijuana strain instead so we can protect each other.”
The event is not run by the city, which continues to offer free vaccines daily.
Free cannabis joints are the latest in a series of gags across the country to incentivise people to get vaccinated. Other places have offered free beer, doughnuts, vehicles – and, in California’s case, US$1.5 million cheques.
