Dude, that is some seriously good stuff. But seriously, legalizing pot is a good idea for California.Legislation to make California the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use lit up a Capitol committee hearing Wednesday with three hours of lively but mellow debate.
No joint consensus was reached.
There are plenty of good legalization arguments which I unpacked in detail here, but to review they include: 1) A small tax could raise more than a billion dollars for the state while expanding civil liberties; 2) It's weird to spend so many man-hours trying to prevent an activity that isn't very dangerous; 3) Law enforcement officials could be dispatched to more important beats, like the border or inner cities; 4) Everybody in Los Angeles was already inventing "medical" reasons to grab their marijuana cards anyway so we might as well tax them for their lies; 5) If West coast folk want to smuggle some across state lines ... tourism! (thanks for that one, mgoodfel).
For more excellent reasons why California should be the first state to legalize toking, read this Jeremy Singer-Vine article from Slate.
I think legalization is a great idea for all the same reasons you just mentioned. However as a laid-off Californian teacher I do have one fear. The Obama administration has told the feds to quit wasting their time with medical marijuana here; so legalization is feasible right now. But, what if in 3 or 7 years from now we get a conservative in the White House? If congress swings to the right the federal government could soon tell CA that it is breaking the law. That would mean a new and sudden billion dollar gap in the budget. It's obvious that no policy makers ever look at long term consequences with anything, so this seems like a feasible scenario.
Ooo, and just think, CalPERS can over-invest in home-state producers/distributors, further entangling their Pensioners financial future in the circuitous clusterf*ck that is California.
There's still enough conservative opposition to drugs in California that I doubt legalization is possible. Reducing penalties ("decriminalizing") it isn't enough though -- to collect taxes, you need it to be legal.
Other parts of the country would be up in arms about it too, since people would come to California to get high (our own little Amsterdam).
I really doubt it will happen. Of course, if it does, it will be ironic. All those people put in jail, and it ends not because of justice, but because the state needs the money!
"When you dance with the devil, you don't change him. The devil changes you."
Several months ago President Obama announced U.S. troops would no longer pursue Afganistan's heroin farmers. Now, we are lead to believe Karzai's brother is not only on the C.I.A. payroll, but a part of the heroin cartel that provides the Taliban with $400 mln/yr in "commissions". So too, President Obama feels it is within his provence to ignore both the will of Congress and the Supreme Court's vindication of their legislation and refuse to prosecute those who use marijuana for "medical" purpose. Thus, California's politicans as well as the mendicino cartel also are free from prosecution. Furthermore, President Obama's decree also appears to have the Mexican Cartel's supplying "medical" marijuana to Colorado "patients. Finally, the winter day AG Holder first told the press the O'Bama Administration would not prosecute federal law in California, legislation was filed in the State legislature to legalize it for recreation. The first hearing on the matter was held this week. Surprise, suprise. Maybe, instead of sending U.S. Troops to nation build the narco-state of Afganistan he should send troops to rebuild the narco-state of California.