Rose City Justice is taking to the streets again tonight to continue demonstrations that advocate for civil rights and social justice and equity. While our activism has made some changes and gained momentum and awareness, there is still work do be done, especially in the area of defunding the police and utilizing cannabis taxpayer dollars in ways that benefit the communities most devastated by the drug war.
In particular, we need to remind citizens and rule makers that 20% of Oregon cannabis tax revenue goes directly to supporting law enforcement.
Does that make you mad?! It should. In 2014 professionals and out-of-state organizations ran a legalization campaign with the promise that repealing cannabis prohibition would greatly benefit those communities- and that has yet to happen. The state of Oregon must allocate ALL cannabis tax revenue to the communities it was promised.
Please come support our effort tonight and don’t forget to have all of your friends join our mobile campaign by texting the keyword “drip” to 420-420.
Soon we will be launching a political strategy that will maintain a strong presence in Salem with a message for all legislators and we will rely heavily on engagement with this tool that is hosted on an advocacy platform. Our message is:
- Divest Cannabis Tax Revenue from Law Enforcement
- Reinvest those revenues into Education and Equity Programs
- Police and Prison Reform to Protect our Communities
Meet at 6:00 PM at Revolution Hall. From there we will march in unity to Pioneer Square in downtown Portland.
Please show up safely.
- Wear your mask
- Bring gloves
- Hand sanitizer
- And try to keep your distance from people.
Black and brown communities have been hit hardest by this pandemic and we want to encourage everyone to be mindful. If you have been exposed to or have shown symptoms of COVID-19 in the last two weeks please stay home and get your protest on quarantine style and tell all of your friends to opt into our mobile campaign by texting “drip” to 420-420.
Oregon Cannabis Tax Revenue
Part of Rose City Justice’s long term vision is to take back control of cannabis tax revenue which was intended to support communities that have been the most disproportionately impacted by racist drug laws.
We want Cannabis Tax Revenue to be Allocated for:
- Divest Cannabis Tax Revenue from Law Enforcement
- Reinvest in Education and Equity programs
- Protect our Communities with Law Enforcement and Prison Reform
Oregon cannabis was legalized in 2014 and the original draft of the measure aimed to fund education, mental health and addiction services, and law enforcement.
Marijuana Tax in Oregon
Oregon Marijuana tax revenue sales that occur throughout the state are broken up into funding for law enforcement, mental health programs, and education. The allocation of cannabis tax revenue is capped for education at 40% currently, but should only increase as does the tax revenue. Additionally, Rose City Justice is demanding that the cannabis tax revenue is divested, both on the State and City level, from law enforcement and dedicated to education and health programs in the communities hardest hit and disproportionately affected by the drug war.
Portland Cannabis
The cannabis industry in Portland includes many businesses. Since the protests that have taken over the City’s streets, thanks to the Rose City Justice League and the Black Lives Matter movement, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced the city would redirect $12 million from the city’s police department and pledged the funds toward supporting communities of color.
