Statement in support of bill to legalize and regulate marijuana

 
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Rick Jacobs, Chair of the 700,000-member Courage Campaign, released the following statement today regarding the State Assembly Public Safety Committee’s historic approval of AB 390, the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act sponsored by Asm. Tom Ammiano:

“The Assembly Public Safety Committee, led by Tom Ammiano, has taken a bold and welcome step towards a sane prison and budget policy by approving AB 390. The Courage Campaign supports this bill and hopes that it is the beginning of the end of a failed policy of marijuana prohibition.

“During a budget crisis this bad, it’s absurd that California maintains a costly and failed policy on marijuana. AB 390 achieves a long overdue and responsible legalization of marijuana that could bring over $1 billion in badly needed revenue to the state while finally providing reform to our prisons. Policymakers shouldn’t have to kick kids off of health care in order to waste more money on putting people in prison.

“Californians understand that the only case of reefer madness is the fact that it’s taken us so long to have this discussion. Marijuana legalization is a sane and sensible reform whose time has come.”