With COVID-19 cases spiking and mask mandates returning to LA County, now is a really a good time to get the unvaccinated off the sidelines. The nonprofit cannabis advocacy organization Long Beach Forward has partnered with the Long Beach Collective Association to do its part. It’s offering free joints to people aged 21+ who get inoculated.
The “Joints for Jabs” program takes place Saturday, July 24 at 6301 Myrtle Ave. in Long Beach from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first 150 people of age who get the vaccine will get a free joint. People under 21 are also welcome; they just won’t get a free joint with their vaccine.
“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,” said James Suazo, Executive Director with Long Beach Forward. “With the delta variant becoming the dominant COVID-19 strain in Los Angeles County, we want our unvaccinated neighbors to catch a free marijuana strain instead so we can protect each other.”
As of July 15, 5,777,184 Los Angeles County residents (69.4%) had been vaccinated. That’s higher than the statewide vaccination rate of 60.9%. While cases and hospitalizations are far below the winter peak, a new, more contagious variant coupled with relaxed mandates has led to a tripling of new daily coronavirus cases over the last month.