Legal Weed Might Help Raise Teachers Wages In Arizona

Legal weed could lead to higher paid teachers.

Two Arizona lawmakers are pushing to legalize weed and they’re pitching their bipartisan legislation as a way to help fund raises for teachers in the state. Republican Todd Clodfelter and Democrat Mark Cardenas introduced legislation in February 2018 that would put a measure on the November ballot, letting voters decide if they want legal cannabis.

“Polling shows the majority of Arizonans are in support of legalized cannabis, so our job it to make sure it happens. To have those conversations. To lay egos aside and realize this is a revenue source that we desperately need,” Cardenas explained.

Arizona teachers have promised to strike on April 26, 2018 if the state legislature doesn’t increase their pay, restore funding, and refrain from implementing tax cuts. Arizona voters rejected Proposition 205 in 2016, which would have allowed the adult use of cannabis. An analysis of the proposition projected $82 million in revenue by 2020 with approximately $69.6 million available for schools. Cardenas says his legislation would have a higher revenue because Proposition 205 capped the number of dispensaries:

“You want $150 million for teachers for their cost of living adjustments, to make up a significant part of their raise? Here you go,” he said.