'Joints For Jabs' Offers Marijuana To Induce The Vaccine Hesitant

LONG BEACH, CA — Maybe some people aren't vaccine-hesitant — they just haven't gotten around to getting their COVID-19 vaccine. And maybe those very same people might be motivated to get their shot by the promise of a free joint. That's the theory behind the "Joints for Jabs LBC" initiative.

A community coalition in Long Beach will over one free marijuana joint to the first 150 city residents 21 and older who get the jab at an upcoming one-day pop-up clinic. The partnership between the Healthy Long Beach campaign and the Long Beach Collective Association represents dozens of cannabis businesses in the city. Knowing their clientele, they came up with a unique proposal for encouraging people to get vaccinated as vaccination rates stall and the coronavirus surges among the unvaccinated in Los Angeles County.

"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 of Long Beach Forward, a local community organization that launched the Healthy Long Beach campaign in January.. "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."

"We all want to have a safe summer and enjoy one another's company even as the pandemic continues on and recreation opens up," said Suazo.

The coalition will distribute tokens that are redeemable for one free pre-rolled joint on Saturday, July 24, to Long Beach residents 21 and older who get vaccinated at a one-day pop-up clinic at Houghton Park.

To reach people, the campaign has gone door-to-door. Workers are trying direct outreach to spread public health education about COVID-19 resources and ensure equitable vaccination efforts across the city.

In a news release issued by Long Beach Forward, the Long Beach Collective Association said, "The LBCA supports public health efforts. Cannabis products provide safe access to alternative medicine. Supporting vaccination efforts for our communities falls in line with LBCA stance on promoting healthy living and prevention. The LBCA is excited to be a part of this community campaign."

Much like the county and the state, Long Beach officials have gotten creative in trying to motivate residents to get vaccinated. They have partnered with local businesses such as hotels for weekend getaways, along with local businesses with lotteries for cash winnings and season tickets for LA sports teams. But the efforts stalled. Following the statewide reopening and dramatic drop in coronavirus cases, the threat of the coronavirus slipped from many people's minds. However, new cases have doubled in Los Angeles County over the last two weeks - an alarming spike driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.

The county on Tuesday reported 1,103 new COVID cases -- the fifth straight day the number topped 1,000. That lifted the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 1,259,772. The county also reported 12 new fatalities due to the virus, increasing the death toll to 24,554.

In addition, the rolling seven-day average rate of people testing positive for the virus was 2.9% as of Tuesday, up from 2.8% on Monday and well above the 0.3% rate from mid-June.

State figures, meanwhile, showed that hospitalizations due to COVID in L.A. County were pushing the 400 mark, reaching 398. That was up from 376 on Monday. There were 94 people in intensive care, up from 85 a day earlier.

While the hospitalization numbers are still relatively low compared to the patient totals during the winter surge that reached 8,000, the slow and steady increase in recent weeks is sparking concern among health officials -- who say the increase highlights the importance of vaccinations.

Long Beach's one-day clinic is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave. Vaccinations and tokens will be distributed to the first 150 Long Beach residents in attendance while supplies last. Children and young people age 12 to 20 can also receive vaccinations but will not be eligible for tokens.

Shots will be administered by employees of the city's health department, but the city is not co-sponsoring the event, the Long Beach Post reported.

"Joints for Jabs" is just the latest effort to incentivize people to get vaccinated.

The county is also continuing to offer incentives. Through Thursday, anyone who gets vaccinated at sites operated by the county, the city of Los Angeles or St. John's Well Child and Family Center will be entered for a chance to win one of seven concert ticket prizes, including box seats at the Hollywood Bowl and tickets to Staples Center concerts including Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Dan+Shay.

For more information on the Long Beach event, visit www.lbforward.org/healthylb.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.