NORML Relaunches NYC Times Square Ad Campaign ‘Money Can Grow On Trees’
“Money can grow on trees.” That is the message of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Foundation (NORML) in a 15-second digital ad scheduled to debut in New York City’s Times Square next week. The advertisement, produced and paid for by NORML’s educational arm, The NORML Foundation, will air on the CBS Super Screen through May 31, 2010.
“Regulating the adult use of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol could raise over $30 billion annually in new tax revenue, while saving an additional $15 billion per year in law enforcement costs,” NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. “This tax season, why not ask your elected politicians why the federal government continues to spends billions of tax dollars enforcing this failed and archaic public policy.”
Fifty-three percent of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, according to the results of a December 2009 Angus Reid survey of over 1,000 adults nationwide.
The NORML Foundation’s ‘Money Tree’ ad will appear eighteen times per day on the CBS’s digital billboard, located on 42nd Street. Approximately 1.5 million people walk by the billboard each day.
show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeH5HrG7IfM&feature=player_embedded
OV Social
You said, “Regulating the adult use of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol could raise over $30 billion annually in new tax revenue, while saving an additional $15 billion per year in law enforcement costs.”
Does this account for the drastic lowering of the value of marijuana which would occur if the black market for it were to be all but destroyed by legalization ? In other words, the price of, say 1 oz., would not be the hundreds of dollars it is now if it were readily available. It would be much cheaper as per the law of supply and demand coupled with the removal of risk taken by the present illegal distribution system.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
Since the effect of re- legalization ( cannabis was legal until 1937) on price can not be determined, nor can the level of taxation (which could be state, federal and local), any savings or tax generation are speculative. However, if you check the NORML website you will find more information about how they arrived at these numbers, including taking into account the price of an oz to medical cannabis patients in western states, and the cost of incarceration in those same states. It is likely, and desirable, that the price of an oz drop, otherwise the cartels and illegal distributors will remain in the market. You should also consider, which was not done in these calculations, how many innocent people will not be killed by police going into the wrong address, how many innocent people will not be in the middle of gang shootings, how many people will not have their lives disrupted by long prison terms for simple possession, or other non viloent "crimes" related to prohibition , how many children will not be in foster care, and all the corollary costs of prohibition that we are currently paying for.