The group behind Initiative 71—the 2014 ballot measure that legalized growing and using weed at home in the District—has been invited to meet with White House staffers next Monday, DCMJ co-founder Nikolas Schiller confirms on 4/20.

The scheduled meeting, first reported by the International Business Times, follows a few highs and lows for D.C.’s legal-marijuana movement, including a major down on Tuesday, when the D.C. Council voted by a thin margin to permanently ban so-called cannabis clubs. Meanwhile, on April 2, DCMJ inflated a 51-foot “joint” outside of the White House, calling for the federal government to re- or deschedule cannabis from its Schedule I status. Last Saturday, the group organized a seed-giveaway, also outside 1600 Pennsylvania.

“This is an opportunity for the White House to meet with serious and committed cannabis activists and hear our case for why it’s in President Obama’s best interest to work with the attorney general to fully remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, ” Schiller said in a statement. He and co-founder Adam Eidinger say they plan to discuss why the president should push for marijuana reform during his last year in office. Among the reasons: the fact that people of color are disproportionately charged with crimes related to weed and the need for more medical trials involving the substance.

Photo by Andrew Giambrone