Please sign the petition to let marijuana producers and distributors pay taxes

[link to druglibrary.org]

What is this all about?

California is in trouble (again) with its budget. As this is written (August, 2007), there are plans to cut one billion dollars from important rapid transit projects. There are also plans to cut back welfare for the elderly and disabled and to cut back drug treatment programs for prisoners. Cutting back on important programs will simply cause more problems in the future -- with higher demands on the budget.

In order to try to make up the shortfall, the state of California is in negotiations with Indian casinos for a portion of casino revenues. The amount of money to be gained is between $200 million and $500 million per year. However, this battle has been going on for years with no quick resolution in sight -- and it wouldn't fill the budget gap, anyway.

We offer a solution.

The producers and sellers of marijuana offer the state of California at least one billion dollars in additional tax revenue every year -- and nobody is arguing.

What will this do?

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It can fill the current California budget gap all by itself. No more disputes about what to cut and the legislators can take the summer off.
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It can fund rapid transit.
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It can fund welfare for the elderly and disabled.
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It can fund drug education programs in schools and other drug abuse prevention efforts.
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It can fund prisoner treatment programs, thus reducing crime and saving even more tax dollars in the future.
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It will stop needless prosecutions of sick people for marijuana offenses.
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It can provide for safe and well-regulated medicinal marijuana supplies for the sick.
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It will stop the transfer of billions of dollars per year to foreign criminal gangs.
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It will boost local economies.
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It will get marijuana out of the criminal underground.
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It can provide for regulations on product quality, content and warning labels, and product liability insurance.
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It will save billions of tax dollars currently spent on useless criminal prosecutions for marijuana.
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It will free up police and courts for addressing real crime issues.
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It will help the balance of foreign trade and boost the value of the dollar internationally.

The Marijuana Producers and Distributors of California make a simple request:

TAKE OUR MONEY PLEASE!

A sensible marijuana policy can make big changes in our society. It can produce a big reduction in government costs and a huge increase in taxes.

Please show your support and sign the petition to Let Us Pay Taxes.
sign:
[link to druglibrary.org]