A local nonprofit hit the streets of Downtown Denver on Christmas Eve and gave away a thousand free, pre-rolled marijuana joints to the homeless and anyone else who wanted one.
"Merry Christmas and a puff puff, New Year's," said one woman who accepted a joint.
Nick Dicenzo, the founder of Cannabis Can and the one responsible for handing out the free weed, said they're trying to raise awareness about homelessness and encourage people to donate to their cause.
The cause? To raise money to buy several RV's and provide restrooms and showers for those in need. Dicenzo said their goal is to use weed for good and to bring people together to make a difference.
"'Cannabis can make a difference,' is kind of what we're standing for," said Dicenzo.
"What do you say to people who don't agree with what you're doing?" asked ABC15 sister station Denver7 Reporter Jennifer Kovaleski.
"Merry Christmas, Happy Cannamas -- would you like some rolling papers for tobacco?" replied Dicenzo.
In addition to handing out the free joints, which Dicenzo says he grew legally, volunteers also passed out flyers and business cards with information on where people can donate.
"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.
And while not everyone wanted a free joint, Dicenzo said the message was about so much more.
"Spread the word, spread the cheer, to give back," he said.
It is illegal to smoke weed in public, but weed can be given as a gift. The only rules are that the person has to be 21 or over, no money can be exchanged, and each person can only carry up to ounce of weed.
"Which makes the logistics of this really tricky, but yeah I have lots of people with one ounce on their person," said Dicenzo.
---------
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
