Hello CAN Leaders,

There has been a flurry of rapid activity as it pertains to the Proposition 64 discussion over the past week. Following is the detailed update we discussed during our meeting. 

General information related to Proposition 64, CAN’s role related to Proposition 64 relative to CA3, and CDE can be found on pages 22-24 or our December 4th Leadership Team materials packet.

Key points:

• New revenue will be available beginning in the new year based on the sale and tax of recreational marijuana, 60% of which will be available for youth programs. 
• A stakeholder group has come together to make recommendations regarding the use of this new revenue.
  • The Stakeholder Group also consists of a Youth Sub-Committee, which CAN’s Program Director Jessica Hay Co-chairs. The Youth Sub-Committee and the Workforce Sub-Committee have created general recommendations (attached) for the broader stakeholder group. These general recommendations have been met with general agreement within the group (although CAN and CDE will be making suggestions to the workforce sub-committee about including the education and prevention workforce in their recommendations). 
• The treatment voices at the table are (A) advocating the stakeholder group discuss a proposed split of the funding dollars for specific purposes, and (B) proposing an 80%/20% split with 80% going to treatment and have asked for organizations to submit their proposals for a split on Thursday December 7th.  

CAN has submitted organizational recommendations

• During our Leadership Team meeting we had a very brief opportunity to discuss CAN’s role within the group and potential recommendations that CAN might submit.
  • While we did not have time for a full discussion or a vote, CAN submitted recommendations to the group (as a single organization) with the support of the Leadership Team Co-chairs. See the recommendations that CAN has submitted attached. 

CAN has signed on to additional recommendations from an emerging “prevention coalition” 

• CAN has been participating in an emerging loose coalition of organizations that oppose an 80/20 split and support increased funding for prevention. These groups oppose ANY proposal for a split of funds at this time. They (we) are calling instead for further assessment of need prior to determining the best use of funds, and that strategies that are funded should be collaborative across the prevention, early intervention, and treatment spectrum; and should prioritize treatment.
  • This coalition has signed on to a document that opposes the proposal for a split, calls for further assessment of need prior to determining the best use of funds, and advocates for a prioritization of prevention instead of treatment. However, there were some concern that the document might be interpreted as also advocating for a public awareness (e.g., media) campaign. 
  • CAN, has signed on to the prevention letter with the support of its Policy Committee Co-chairs (Jessica Gunderson, Senior Policy Director with the Partnership for Children and Youth, and Brian Lee, California Director of Fight Crime Invest in Kids). The Partnership for Children and Youth and Fight Crime Invest in Kids also signed on to the letter.
  • CAN has offered additional input to the prevention letter with its sign-on (see attached). The additional input suggests that the document could be strengthened to remove any implication of a public awareness campaign in favor of programs that directly serve youth.