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Cannabis Can: Charity Distributes Free Marijuana To Homeless People During Holiday Season

By Meaghan Ellis
Published on: 13:13 PST, Dec 30, 2015

A Denver charity has decided to spread holiday cheer with the gift of free marijuana for the homeless this year. Although most charitable donations involve food, clothing, and shelter, the organization known as Cannabis Can, decided to offer a different form of generosity this holiday season. Of course, there are many hoax stories online detailing accounts that are almost too good to be true, but Cannabis Can giving away free marijuana is reportedly the real deal.

According to WXYZ News, Cannabis Can hit the streets of Denver, CO on Christmas Eve and passed out one thousand free, pre-rolled blunts to homeless people and anyone else who wanted one. Nick Dicenzo, the founder of Cannabis Can explained the reason behind the unconventional charitable donation. Instead of donating the usual essentials, the non-profit organization decided to take a different approach in an effort to raise awareness about the homeless. The concept of passing out free marijuana was also an effort to encourage people to donate to the homeless.

During a recent news interview with ABC News, Dicenzo shared details about the free marijuana idea. He went on to explain how the donated proceeds would be used to benefit homeless citizens. Dicenzo also revealed an essential need of those less fortunate, and how that necessity serves as a barrier for employment opportunities.

“‘Cannabis can make a difference,’ is kind of what we’re standing for,” said Dicenzo.”When we talk with people on the street, so many of them mention the need for a haircut and regular showers.” It’s one of the biggest obstacles they face in getting employment. A lot of the people we spoke with really were just like, ‘if I had regular access to a shower, and a haircut my life would be so much better – I’d have so much more opportunity,'” said Dicenzo.

So, in the spirit of giving, Dicenzo and his organization decided free marijuana would definitely capture the attention of local citizens, and it did just that. “Merry Christmas and a puff puff, New Year’s,” said one woman who gladly accepted one of the free, pre-rolled joints.

The latest marijuana news follows a string of reports about the declining profitability of marijuana and how its legalization is hurting Mexican drug cartels. According to the LA Times, many Mexican marijuana farms have seen a drastic decline over the past four years. It has been reported that the price per kilogram has nosedived from $100 to $30.

The decline in supply and demand has led to a distinctive drop in marijuana production in Mexico, which has also slowed drug trafficking through the United States, according to border patrol data. “Changes on the other side of the border are making marijuana less profitable for organizations like the Cartel de Sinaloa,” said Antonio Mazzitelli, the Mexico representative the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. However, marijuana legalization hasn’t totally stopped Mexican cartels from profiting. In fact, they’re reportedly working on more innovative ways to increase profitability by producing a higher quality of marijuana.

“Law enforcement reporting indicates that Mexican cartels are attempting to produce higher-quality marijuana to keep up with U.S. demand for high-quality marijuana,” according to the DEA’s 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment. However, that’s not all. The legalization of marijuana is likely to influence Mexican drug cartel’s push toward other illegal drugs – such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine – that are highly unlikely to be legalized anytime soon, if ever.

[Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images]

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