5 Most Powerful Anti-Marijuana Lobby Groups

5 INSANELY POWERFUL ANTI-MARIJUANA LOBBY GROUPS MARIJUANA INFOGRAPHICS THE GROUPS FIGHTING_TO KEEP MARIJUANA ILLEGAL ARE PRESERVING THE WAR ON DRUGS FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL INTERÉSTS PAID POLITICS? PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATIONS aka "Big Pharma" $21.8 Million Pharmaceutical companies stand to lose a lot of market share if marijuana is legalized because cannabis would offer a cheap, safe alternative to their products The amount Drug manufacturers gave to various federal candidates, committees and political parties during the 2012 election $138,220,340 842 The amount Drug manufacturers spent on political lobbying in 2014 The number political lobbyists who worked for Drug manufacturers in 2014 130 $145,367,115 The number of Drug manufacturers who spent funds on political lobbying in 2014 The amount Drug manufacturers spent on political lobbying in 2015 "There's no benefit to marijuana. It's simply that people want the freedom to be stoned. That's all it is. And there's a great deal of risk," - Dr. Stuart Gitlow, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine He is also the Medical Director for Orexo, pharmaceutical company that makes a drug called Zubsolv. The product is an opioid substitute 2 POLICE UNIONS FEDERAL GRANTS aka "The Fuzz" $2.4 BILLION %3D Police unions donate heavily to anti- legalization efforts, probably because ending the War on Drugs would translate to decreased police funding. The amount received in 2014 from federal grant programs requiring police to engage in drug enforcement The money funds multi-jurisdictional drug task forces. ASSET FORFEITURE SOUND SCIENCE? A $900,000 2014 The Amount made from asset forfeitures - Florida Marijuana Eradication Program "One try and it can ruin your life.", In many states, the city government expects police to make seizures, and they expect these seizures to supplement their budgets. -Bob Cooke Former president of the California Narcotic Officers' Association on why law enforcement agencies oppose legalizing marijuana "an excellent return on investment." (3) PRIVATE PRISON CORPORATIONS CORRECTIONS CORPORATION aka "for-profit prison" OF AMERICA $6.8 MILLION Private prisons are in the business of filling their jails' beds, and they make millions by incarcerating nonviolent drug users, such as those convicted for marijuana use and possession The amount CCA has spent on political lobbying since 2008 $ $ $ $ HEADS IN BEDS GEO 95.7% $3.3 MILLION Average occupancy rate of of a GEO Private Prison facility The amount GEO has spent on political lobbying since 2008 CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA REGULATORY FILING "[A]ny changes with respect to drugs and controlled substances or illegal immigration could affect the nomber of persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand for correctional facilities to house them. PRISON GUARD UNIONS CALIFORNIA CORRĘCTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION 4. aka "Union of the Snake" Similar to for-profit prison companies, prison guard $1 MILLION unions also have a vested interest in keeping nonviolent drug offenders behind bars Amount given to the successful 2008 campaign against Proposition 5, which would have “reduce[d] the parole terms of nonviolent [drug] offenders" while emphasizing drug treatment and rehabilitation DIRTY MONEY? "It's not hard to figure out that there's a lot of money attached to enforcing marijuana laws," programs. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) $13 MILLION $. unt AFSCME gave The am candidates, parties and committees at the federal level in the 2012 election $2.7 MILLION $ Minnesota State Representative Carly Melin The amount AFSCME spent on political lobbying in 2013 THE BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR INDUSTRY $175 MILLION ALCOHOL & BEER COMPANIES aka "The Competition" For the alcoholic beverage industry, legalized marijuana would compete for money Americans devote to leisure pursuits. Amount The Beer, Wine and Liquor industry has spent on political lobbying since 2008 Prohibition provides “an incentive for these interest groups to keep seeking O federal money to continue the 'war on drugs' [and] their own salaries," CALIFORNIA BEER & BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTORS $10,000 The amount California Beer and Beverage Distributors gave to Public Safety First, a PAC working against California's Prop 19 which, if passed, would have legalized various marijuana-related activities in the state. $17.8 MILLION Y Amount The Beer, Wine and Liquor industry gave to candidates, parties and committees at the federal level in the 2012 election Representative Steve Cohen SOURCES:HTTP://WWW.OPENSECRETS.ORG/INDUSTRIES/LOBBYING.PHP?CYCLE=2014&IND=H4300 HTTP://WWW.THENATION.COM/ARTICLE/ANTI-POT-LOBBYS-BIG-BANKROLL/ HTTP://EXTRACT.SUNTIMES.COM/NEWS/10/153/3870/TOP-ANTI-MARIJUANA-LOBBY-GROUPS-UNITED-STATES