LANSING – Advocates in California have started a television campaign this week highlighting how legalizing marijuana and taxing it could help balance the state’s $26 billion deficit, but a spokesperson said Wednesday the group has no plans to do the same in Michigan.
The Marijuana Policy Project, which lent more than $1 million to the medical marijuana campaign known as Michigan’s Proposal 1 of 2008, is behind the ads in California.
The Associated Press reports the 30-second television spot includes a California state worker who says lawmakers there are “ignoring millions of Californians who want to pay taxes.” The worker reportedly has been using marijuana for three years after having multiple strokes.
Legislation has been introduced in California to legalize marijuana and tax it like alcohol. Supporters say the measure could collect $1 billion in taxes.
Bruce Mirken, spokesperson for the pro-marijuana group, said the advertising campaign in California came out of a push by people there on the issue and the Washington, D.C.-based organization doesn’t intend to start up the same slogan in Michigan, which faces a $1.7 billion deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.
“If I had an unlimited budget we would be doing this local campaign in all the states facing budget deficits, which is like 49,” he said.
Michigan’s medical marijuana law took effect in April.
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