Schwarzenegger says Calif. should have pot debate

Tuesday, May 5, 2009


California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time for a debate on whether to legalize marijuana, though he says he's not supporting the idea.

Schwarzenegger spoke Tuesday in Davis during an event to promote wildfire safety. He warns against making potentially harmful decisions just to raise money and says some countries that have decriminalized pot have had negative experiences.

Democratic state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano says legalizing marijuana for adults over age 21 and taxing it at $50 per ounce would bring the state more than $1 billion a year. He has a bill in the Legislature but has delayed seeking approval until next year.

California became the first state to legalize the medical use of marijuana in 1996. A dozen other states now have similar laws.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/05/state/n134034D44.DTL&tsp=1