Tell Governor Newsom: No new penalties for marijuana

When Californians voted to legalize marijuana, they made it clear that criminalizing marijuana is the wrong approach.

Yet the legislature recently passed AB 1138, harmful bill that would create new penalties for people engaging in commercial marijuana activity without a license.

The war on drugs is a war on people of color and people experiencing poverty. All these new penalties will do is continue the cycle of disproportionately criminalizing these communities because they face unfair barriers to licensing compared to more affluent areas.

Governor Newsom could act at any moment: tell him not to sign AB 1138 and reject new crimes and penalties for marijuana.

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Your Message

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Dear Governor Newsom,

Message Body

I urge you not to sign AB 1138 (Rubio) into law. This harmful bill would create new penalties for people engaging in commercial marijuana activity without a license. The bill is also a backdoor strategy to undermine critical civil asset forfeiture reforms in California.

The problems with the existing market will not be corrected by strengthening potential penalties and threatening to prosecute more violators. The war on drugs is a war on people of color and people experiencing poverty. All these new penalties will do is continue the cycle of disproportionately criminalizing these communities because they face unfair barriers to licensing compared to more affluent areas.

Instead of making licensing, capital, and regulation more accessible to all, this bill perpetuates the harms of the drug war in communities experiencing poverty and those running illicit shops because they cannot meet the current licensing requirements.

It’s time to end the cycle. Instead of creating new ways to punish people for marijuana, the lawmakers should be focused on ensuring marijuana legalization is implemented equitably in every community.

When Californians voted to legalize marijuana, they made it clear that criminalizing marijuana is the wrong approach. The continued implementation of The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) should be focused on creating a robust and equitable market, instead of continuing to arrest, incarcerate, disenfranchise and otherwise harm millions.

Please do not sign AB 1138 (Rubio) and reject new crimes and penalties for marijuana Thank you.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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