A lot of people may see our petition as a “reach”, but we don’t think so. Your voices can make a difference. We are committed to seeing this through. The problem that most in government try buzzwords and scare tactics to trick you into not supporting cannabis legalization. You’ll hear things like... “these dispensaries will be in your neighborhoods”, “teen use goes up with legalization”, or “it’s a gateway drug”. Let’s break these asinine statements apart. The only gateway that cannabis is.... is a gateway to the fridge or the bed. Teen use goes down in states with a legal cannabis market. Yes, these dispensaries will be next to other stores, the same with liquor stores. You can shop for toys, bikes, groceries, and then go buy vodka in the same store. Let’s not act like this is a big deal.
Does a legal cannabis market lead to lower black market sales? Yes.... in fact, the states that have the worst problem with black market sales... are states that have not legalized cannabis. 

What benefits us by legalizing cannabis? Other than the freedom to use a plant that has no known issues when used by responsible adults? A minimum of 40,000 new jobs... assuming all cities are allowing the business to grow. A balanced budget.... assuming government stops spending more than they’ve allocated for expenses. Allowing medical research to move forward for patients at a state funded lab(yes.. it’s still illegal at the federal level, that’s why we said state funded). LOWER teen use... and for those stressed over the fear tactics of “teen use goes up”, it’s a false narrative. We in Louisiana love our families, we love our neighbors(sometimes), and we take care of one another. Let’s be realistic for a moment. Teen use has dropped in states that have monitored teen use prior to legalization. It’s drops because the black market is no longer competitive and can’t make money selling cannabis, thus cannabis that has a potential to be laced, is removed from the streets, and teens can’t get into a licensed dispensary. If you’ve been to any legal cannabis state and walked into a dispensary, you’ll immediately know why teens can’t get access. They have private security and they scan IDs to verify that they aren’t fake. 

We talk a lot about this because we’re passionate about it. We can’t do this alone. If you’re reading this message, share our petition on every social media platform you frequent. It’s time for change. It’s time for the voices of the people to matter.