SC Citizens for Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative

The Santa Cruz Citizens for Sensible Marijuana Policy are seeking volunteer signature gatherers to help place an initiative on November's city ballot that will:

1. Make private adult marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority in the city of Santa Cruz;

2. Create a Community Oversight Committee (appointed by city council members) to track marijuana arrests, using both police reports and citizen testimony, and report to the city council;

3. Establish official city policy as being in support of a "tax and regulate" approach towards adult marijuana use; and

4. Require the city to send annual letters to our federal and state representatives informing them of the city's official policy.

This initiative was inspired by Oakland's highly successful Measure Z (2004), and is similar to current initiative campaigns in Santa Barbara and West Hollywood. Our intention is to build momentum towards a statewide initiative campaign that will move California out of prohibition into a "tax and regulate" approach to adult marijuana use similar to the alcohol model. Not only would this shift in policy save taxpayers millions of dollars in law enforcement/prison/parole/court costs, it would also open a new stream (more like a river) of revenue for the state. And for once, the taxpayers would be happy!

If the Drug War is still on your list of wars you'd like to end, please join us in our effort. While we can't fully stop the war here in our city, we can set limits for the drug warriors in our midst. Equally important, we can put our city firmly on the side of ending marijuana prohibition and actively in support of sensible policies for adult marijuana use. We have till April 20th, literally 4/20, to gather 5000 signatures so we've no time to waste.

If you would like to help gather signatures, work on the campaign, donate $, and/or..., please contact Andrea Tischler: 831-466-0420 / reservations@compassionflowerinn, or if you prefer talking to an answering machine at our official campaign phone #, call 831-420-2772.