Governor Schwarzenegger Fires Up Pot Debate

Governor Schwarzenegger Fires Up Pot Debate
Tagged with: California, Marijuana Legalization
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 10:18

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to spark up a little debate this week when he suggested the state should discuss reforming marijuana laws.

But most area legislators opted not to partake.

Schwarzenegger said Wednesday in a public appearance that he would not necessarily support legalization, but rather that the state â??ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs.â?�

California legislators may end up being forced to do just that. A bill introduced by state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, calls for marijuana to be legalized and taxed. Ammiano estimates it could gain the state $1.3 billion in revenue, based on taxing pot at $50 an ounce.

â??With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much-needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes,â?� Ammiano said in a prepared statement.

â??California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana,â?� Ammianoâ??s statement continued.

Though all local Republican legislators said they will oppose the bill, local Democratic legislators, with the exception of state Sen. Carol Liu, D-Glendale, either declined to comment or did not return repeated calls for comment.

Liu said she is open to debate on the issue, but she does not think it should be a priority.

â??The state has huge problems - weâ??ve got bigger issues than marijuana,â?� said Liu.

She said that she is not sure what position she will take on AB 390 if it gets out of committee for a floor vote.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Ca ada Flintridge, said he did not want to comment on it. Assembly members Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, and Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, as well as Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, did not return calls on the issue.

Sen. Bob Huff, R-Glendora, on the other hand, said it was not even worth discussing.

â??The fundamental problem is that it is illegal on a federal level,â?� said Huff.

Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, said he would oppose it as long as law enforcement officers do.

â??Iâ??m not going to debate people about using it for medical issues, but as far as full legalization, our law enforcement has repeatedly said they think it is a bad idea,â?� said Hagman.

Huff said he interpreted Schwarzeneggerâ??s comments as meaning that if the Legislature passed the bill to legalize marijuana, he would sign it into law.

Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont, said, however, that he did not think the bill would have enough support.

â??I donâ??t think there will be a serious discussion for this bill,â?� said Adams.

Recent polls have showed increased support for marijuana legalization both in California and in the nation as a whole. A recent Field Poll study showed 56 percent of Californians in favor of legalization, while a nationwide Zogby poll showed 52 percent in favor compared to 37 percent opposed.

Marijuana advocates believe that it is now only a matter of time before the drug becomes legalized. Bruce Mirken, of the Marijuana Policy Project, said politicians are behind the general public on the issue.

â??The fact is, until recently, the idea of legalization was considered politically untenable,â?� said Mirken. â??All of a sudden it is a national issue â?¦ and I think there has been a clear shift in favor of tax and regulation.â?�

There are not a lot of medical marijuana clinics in east Los Angeles County, though a clinic in Whittier holds regular sessions on getting a prescription, and a class in Pasadena teaches how to set up a clinic.

Advocates of marijuana legislation also have some political influence: A local political action committee, Coalition for a Safe and Clean Environment that is run by marijuana advocates, donated $17,425 to local political campaigns, including $7,200 to Assemblyman Ed Hernandez.

Despite that, not all politicians see the legalization of pot as inevitable.

â??I wouldnâ??t say it will definitely happen,â?� said Liu. â??I wouldnâ??t rule out any possibility.â?�

Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2009 San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Contact: Write a Letter - SGVTribune.com
Website: Home - SGVTribune.com
Author: Dan Abendschein, Staff Writer

I for one am surprised to see such a conservative man as Governor Schwarzenegger opt to discuss the possibility of legalizing marijuana. We certainly are making progress for legalization.

what do you expect when your state is going bankrupt?!

it's sad that it took something such as this for a "real" debate to even think about being started.


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