As you know, the states of Colorado and Washington and several municipalities including Chicago have recently decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis.

We, the undersigned citizens of the United States of America, request that cannabis be decriminalized at the federal level in order to save billions of dollars at all levels of government.

According to the Cato Institute, federal, state and municipal governments spent an estimated $8.7 billion on cannabis law enforcement annually including arrests, prosecution and incarceration – and these same governments could benefit from an estimated $8.7 billion in increased revenues, assuming cannabis is taxed in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco. This $17.4 billion of positive budgetary impact would accrue to cash-strapped states and municipalities.

In addition, decriminalization would end the incarceration of people for non-violent possession of cannabis that increases expenditures for incarceration, not to mention decimates the lives of those convicted and their families.

We request that the Federal Government remove cannabis from the Schedule 1 drugs list and allow states and municipalities to act according to the wishes of their citizenry on this matter.

Sincerely,

Citizens of the United States of America