NAACP chapter, law enforcement group throw support behind Sen. Daylin Leach's marijuana legalization bill
Published: Friday, June 28, 2013
A bill that would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana has received the support of the NAACP following a report recently issued by the American Civil Liberties Union.
David Scott, chairman of the legal redress committee of the Cheltenham Area Branch NAACP, joined the bill’s prime sponsor, State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, of Upper Merion, at a news conference about the legislation in Harrisburg on Tuesday morning.
“This is a major issue,” said Neill Franklin, executive director of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, who also was at the news conference. “The federal government reports that 60-70 percent of profits from illegal drug trade come from marijuana.”
The June 2013 NAACP report, titled “The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” stated there were more than 8 million marijuana arrests in the United States between 2001 and 2010. It costs about $3.6 billion per year to enforce marijuana laws, but the use and availability of marijuana has not been diminished, according to the report.
Marijuana use is about equal among blacks and whites, yet blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, according to the NAACP report.
Pennsylvania spends about $350 million a year on arrests, incarceration and monitoring of individuals found to be in possession of small amounts of marijuana, according to Leach.
“We could tax this and gain revenue — that’s hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” Leach said, adding that the revenue could go toward helping public education, fixing roads and providing tax cuts to job creators.
Senate Bill 528 was referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee on April 3. Leach’s bill currently has two co-sponsors.
Leach said he doesn’t expect the Senate to vote on the bill between now and the June 30 state budget deadline. But he does plan to push the legislation again when legislators return to Harrisburg in the fall.
http://mainlinemedianews.com/articl...51cacd925c4fd828157510.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Published: Friday, June 28, 2013
A bill that would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana has received the support of the NAACP following a report recently issued by the American Civil Liberties Union.
David Scott, chairman of the legal redress committee of the Cheltenham Area Branch NAACP, joined the bill’s prime sponsor, State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, of Upper Merion, at a news conference about the legislation in Harrisburg on Tuesday morning.
“This is a major issue,” said Neill Franklin, executive director of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, who also was at the news conference. “The federal government reports that 60-70 percent of profits from illegal drug trade come from marijuana.”
The June 2013 NAACP report, titled “The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” stated there were more than 8 million marijuana arrests in the United States between 2001 and 2010. It costs about $3.6 billion per year to enforce marijuana laws, but the use and availability of marijuana has not been diminished, according to the report.
Marijuana use is about equal among blacks and whites, yet blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, according to the NAACP report.
Pennsylvania spends about $350 million a year on arrests, incarceration and monitoring of individuals found to be in possession of small amounts of marijuana, according to Leach.
“We could tax this and gain revenue — that’s hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” Leach said, adding that the revenue could go toward helping public education, fixing roads and providing tax cuts to job creators.
Senate Bill 528 was referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee on April 3. Leach’s bill currently has two co-sponsors.
Leach said he doesn’t expect the Senate to vote on the bill between now and the June 30 state budget deadline. But he does plan to push the legislation again when legislators return to Harrisburg in the fall.
http://mainlinemedianews.com/articl...51cacd925c4fd828157510.txt?viewmode=fullstory
