Press and social media toolkit — California

Sample letter to the editor (generally limited to 150-200 words; check with your local paper for details):

Over the past decade, California has led the way in tightening controls on the tobacco industry, or “Big Tobacco,” which spent decades marketing harmful, addictive products to Americans—including children. But the marijuana industry wants to become the next “Big Tobacco” through the California pot legalization initiative this November.

Legalization would allow marijuana stores to sell kid-friendly pot products like lollipops and gummy bears that are easily mistaken for ordinary candy. And the initiative is written so broadly, it would provide very little regulation on marijuana advertising, and would even allow convicted heroin and meth dealers to get into the pot business.

Legalization in California is all about one thing: making a handful of people rich. That’s why it is sponsored by Silicon Valley billionaires. It’s “Big Tobacco” all over again—and voters should reject this initiative.

Sample op-ed column (usually a good deal longer than a letter to the editor; check with your local paper for details):

Over the past decade, California has led the way in tightening controls on the tobacco industry, or “Big Tobacco,” which spent decades marketing harmful, addictive products to Americans—including children. But the marijuana industry wants to become the next “Big Tobacco” through the California marijuana legalization initiative this November.

California’s proposed law, sponsored by Silicon Valley billionaires, would allow for pot shops to spring up all across our state. These shops will be able to sell kid-friendly pot products like lollipops and gummy bears that are easily mistaken for ordinary candy. And the initiative is written so broadly, it would provide very little regulation on marijuana advertising. Cities and counties wouldn’t even be able to fully ban marijuana cultivation or delivery in their jurisdictions.

That isn’t to say we should lock up marijuana users. In fact, marijuana use is already decriminalized in California. But legalization – especially the way this initiative is written – goes too far. A recent University of California, San Francisco report, authored by a famous professor who dedicated his career to fighting “Big Tobacco,” says the initiative contains “minimal protections for public health.”

Moreover, the initiative, would allow for heroin and methamphetamine dealers to get licenses to sell marijuana. We can expect corruption and shady deals to become rampant if convicted heroin dealers now own legitimate pot businesses. And that’s one reason that drug prevention, education, treatment, and law enforcement groups oppose it.

California should learn from states like Colorado that legalized pot. There, marijuana use is now number one in the country among teenagers. Parkview Hospital Emergency Room in Colorado wrote recently that since recreational marijuana has been legal in that state, the hospital has seen a 51% increase in children 18 and under that test positive for marijuana. Nearly half of all newborns born in that hospital also tested positive for pre-natal marijuana exposure.

Do we really think a new Big Marijuana industry, led by billionaires and drug dealers, is a good thing for our state, and our kids? Voters should reject legalization in November this fall.

Examples of social media content for Twitter, Facebook, and other sites (all of the below are Twitter friendly — 140 characters or less):

• California’s proposed pot law is written by and for billionaires. We don’t need another Big Tobacco. Vote No this November!

• California’s proposed pot law would allow heroin and meth dealers to own neighborhood pot shops. How is this good? Vote No this November!

• Do we really need more pot shops selling marijuana gummy bears and candies? Voters should reject pot legalization this November.