WASHINGTON >> Seven pro-pot activists have been arrested by U.S. Capitol police while handing out free joints to Congressional staffers and people who work on Capitol Hill.

The demonstration Thursday afternoon was intended as a protest against federal interference with states that have legal marijuana.

Possession of up to 2 ounces of pot is legal in the District of Columbia, and the demonstration was held on city land rather than federal land in an attempt to comply with that law. But in a statement, police say they invoked federal law in making the arrests.

Police say a man and two women were charged with possession with intent to distribute, while four women were charged with simple possession.

One of the organizers, Nikolas Schiller, says police “decided to play politics” with the demonstration.