Give Blood, Get Free Weed: Popular Blood Drive Entices Donors with Cannabis (Exclusive)

An Illinois blood bank and a local dispensary are fighting the blood shortage — and cannabis stigma.

Rock River Valley Blood Center and Lyfe Dispensary are partnering for a "Bleed for Weed" drive on March 22. Held in Freeport, Ill., the event aims to increase the blood supply in the surrounding areas, according to the RRVBC.

Bleed for Weed operates like a normal blood drive — but once a donation has been successfully facilitated, donors get a voucher, according to local news outlet WIFR. Each voucher can be redeemed at Lyfe Dispensary in Rockford, Ill. for either an eighth of flower or an edible chosen by the dispensary. For those who pass on the pot, T-shirts will be available.

The drive will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 22 at Grand River Hall, 101 S. Liberty Ave #1 in Freeport.

Last year was the first time the event was held, and it was very successful, says Michael Hodges, one of the owners of Life Dispensary.

"I just think we can use our platform to drive positive change, not just in the cannabis industry, but in our community as a whole," Hodges says. "The ongoing blood shortage is a critical issue... We see this partnership as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact."

Lisa Entrikin, CEO of RRVBC, tells PEOPLE that the blood shortage in the Rockford area is the most critical she's seen in the last two years. The blood bank has struggled to reach potential donors as media consumption has changed and traditional advertisements and emails are less effective, she explains.

"The first [Bleed for Weed] event that we had, our first-time donor rate was over 50 percent, so that's a wonderful thing for us to get new donors in," Entrikin says.

And, she says, while donors can't be under the influence while donating, simply using cannabis doesn't disqualify a person from donating blood.

For some, the message behind the event is enough to get them to come out and donate. Hodges recalls some people giving blood but declining the voucher afterward — many were just happy to help.

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Hodges adds that along with increasing the incentive for people to donate blood, the drive also helps dispel the misconception that those who use cannabis can't donate contribute to the blood bank.

"By educating the public and erasing some of those outdated statements [about cannabis], we hope to increase the donor participation," Hodges says.