Rally with us June 2nd!
Governor Newsom’s cannabis tax reform bill contains NOTHING to further support struggling social equity, Black & Brown businesses, independent cannabis operators and the patients & consumers they serve, despite the dire market conditions. This is a public health issue. We need to make it abundantly clear to the Budget + Finance committee that the budget proposal as it stands now is a NO from the community
While Black, Brown, and social equity businesses sit on the brink of collapse, and affordable patient & consumer access to safe, tested cannabis depletes, the state is sitting on a $97.5B surplus. Unmanageable taxes on small businesses total up to 40%; leaving large corporations to monopolize California’s cannabis industry and disregarding our most vulnerable patients.
Why is the state pushing out social equity and independent operators through overtaxation? If we don’t amend Gov. Newsom’s Tax Proposal, it is the Black + Brown communities that will be disproportionately impacted - with little to no access to safe, tested cannabis.
WE ARE DEMANDING:
The suspension of the excise tax for all social equity retailers
(Social Equity programs are meant to right the wrongs of government overreach; not to create another path for government overreach via overtaxing underserved Black + Brown communities.)
The reduction of the state excise tax from 15% to 5%
(As a plant and natural medicine deemed an “essential business” by the government during COVID, cannabis should not be subject to such a steep “sin tax.”)
A statewide definition for social equity
Social equity programs cannot be properly executed without a foundational definition at the state level.
3 ACTIONS TO TAKE TO SUPPORT
We need the Budget + Finance Committees to add an amendment to Governor Newsom's tax proposal in the next two weeks in order to get the reform cannabis businesses, consumers and patients desperately need.
Flood the Budget + Finance committee phone lines telling them your demands for the revised State Budget.
Send the Budget + Finance Committee emails reminding them of your expectations.
(Contact information and sample scripts available here)
Show up. We will need help to keep the pressure on at the Down with Taxes, Uplift People Rally on June 2!
We got you covered! Want a ride to the Down With Taxes, Uplift People Rally + Press Conference on Thursday?
Sign up below to reserve your seat on our free shuttle!
Pick Up at 11:15am @ Oakland
Drop Off at 1:15pm @ Sacramento State Capitol Building - West Side
Leave by 3:30pm from Sacramento State Capitol - West Side to Madison Park
Drop off at 5:15pm in Oakland
*If you are signing up for a bus seat, please make sure you can attend! Space is limited.
Lunch will be provided
Mask up on bus except when eating or drinking, this will be enforced!
If accessible, please take a rapid test the day before or the day of the event.
We want to keep fighting!
We hope you will consider donating to Supernova Women to cover some of our rally organizing expenses and also so we may continue to work after June 2nd.
Supernova Women is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.