Planning and Conservation League Call Prop 64 a Victory for CA’s Environment

texas marijuana legalizationToday, the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) – a leading environmental organization in California for 51 years—announced its endorsement of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which will be on the statewide ballot in November.

PCL joins the California League of Conservation Voters and the California Council of Land Trusts in endorsing Proposition 64 and forming the largest environmental coalition ever in support of marijuana policy reform.

“PCL is endorsing Proposition 64 because of the need to regulate the adult-use of marijuana,” said Howard Penn, Executive Director of PCL.  “Prop 64 will significantly strengthen environmental protections and address the impacts California’s unregulated, billion-dollar marijuana industry is having on our wildlife, fisheries, public lands, parks, water supply and water quality. Passage of Prop 64 will be a massive improvement over the status quo and a major victory for California’s environment.”

According to an analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, the ballot measure could raise state and local revenue of up to $1 billion annually. 20% of revenues will be disbursed to the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account, which will be used for environmental cleanup, remediated and restoration of public lands damaged by cultivation, as well as environmental enforcement against illegal water diversion, illegal cultivation, distribution and use of marijuana on public lands.
Oregon State Fair to feature marijuana plantsRELATED: False Positive Drug Test is Stuff Stoners Don’t Like
RELATED: Can You Fail a Drug Test From Second Hand Smoke

The landmark land and water protections in the measure have received specific praise from leading conservation organizations across the state – and, compared to proposed ballot measures and legislation in other states, Prop 64 is the most pro-environment marijuana reform policy proposed anywhere in America.

One of the co-proponents of Prop 64 is Michael Sutton, longtime conservationist and environmental attorney, former President of the California Fish and Game Commission and former Vice President of National Audubon Society.

CLCV joins a diverse coalition of support for Proposition 64 that also includes the California Medical Association, California Nurses Association, California Academy of Preventative Medicine, United Farm Workers (UFW), California State NAACP, California Democratic Party, Courage Campaign, Equality California, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, National Latino Officers Association and United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council.

Current and former elected officials in support include Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Democratic U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu and Jared Huffman, Republican U.S. Reps Dana Rohrabacher and Tom McClintock, State Senator Mark Leno, Assembly Speaker Emeritus Toni G. Atkins, Assemblymembers Rob Bonta, David Chiu, Susan Talamantes Eggman, Cristina Garcia, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Kevin McCarty and Bill Quirk and Tom Campbell, the former Finance Director for the State of California.

Proposition 64 is a consensus measure based on recognized best practices and recommendations from hundreds of engaged citizens and organizations.  Proposition 64 has been endorsed by 17 major newspapers across the state including Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, East Bay Times and Modesto Bee.



Leave a Reply