PRESS RELEASE

For use after 10:00 AM, Friday, September 5, 2003 Omni Parker House Hotel News Conference

For more information contact
Joseph White
413.773.0555 cell
413.774.4080

Bob Schaeffer
239.395.6773

Boston University Study Shows Marijuana Legalization Saves Massachusetts Taxpayers $138 Million

As Massachusetts cities and towns struggle to keep teachers in public schools and police officers on the streets, a Boston University study shows $121 million could be made available to local communities if the state stopped arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana trafficking and use. The study, commissioned by Change the Climate, a non-profit organization that uses outdoor advertising to educate people about marijuana issues, also shows that an additional $17 million could be raised if marijuana sales were regulated and taxed.

The study was conducted by Boston University Economics Professor Jeffery Miron. "My study looks at real expenses associated with marijuana prohibition," says Professor Miron.

Change the Climate commissioned the study to see how much money taxpayers could save if the Commonwealth legalized marijuana. Joseph White, Founder and Executive Director of Change the Climate explains, "So many talented teachers are being laid off while politicians in Boston raise their salaries and cut funds for local services. This study shows there are new monies available. All we need is for politicians to show some creativity and have some guts."

"We want Massachusetts voters to know that they have choices that affect the quality of life in their communities, and one of those choices is whether taxpayers pay for public services like police and fire protection or for arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana violations," continues White, a father of three who lives in Greenfield.

White explains, "The economic downturn in Massachusetts has taken a huge toll in local communities. This study provides an answer to how the state can provide some financial relief to cities and towns."

In October 2002, Professor Miron conducted a study that showed $24 million in tax savings if marijuana was decriminalized. After his report was completed, 39 Massachusetts state legislative districts voted in favor of non-binding resolutions to decriminalize marijuana.

Change the Climate is a national organization of parents and business people who believe that restrictive and counter-productive marijuana laws endanger our children and squander our tax dollars. Change the Climate has conducted advertising campaigns in Washington DC, California and Nevada. It has also sued the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) for denying advertising space to the organization in a much-watched First Amendment case.

More information on other advertising campaigns, including downloadable ads, is available at www.changetheclimate.org. Professor Miron's report is also available for download at www.changetheclimate.org.