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Marijuana sparks joint party powwow
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Discussions continue at the Capital this week between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state leaders regarding a bill supporting the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.
The bill, created by San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, proposes the open, legal sale of marijuana to adults 21 years of age and older, and includes a per-ounce tax aimed at generating state revenue and offsetting debt. A public safety session regarding Assembly Bill 390 took place at the Capital on Wednesday, with Gov. Schwarzenegger remaining neutral on the matter.
Aside from helping to bail out California financially, supporters of AB 390 have embraced the idea as a way to aid law enforcement in pursuing crimes of a more serious nature. According to California records, more than 70,000 people were arrested for marijuana-related offenses in 2008, which has contributed to the overcrowding of state prisons.
Opponents of the bill continue to back the "reefer madness" ideology, labeling cannabis as a "gateway drug," and thus likely to result in an increase in crime, dependency and an individual's inevitable desire to chemically branch out.
Gov. Schwarzenegger also this week asked Congress to front the bill for a massive healthcare overhaul in which every U.S. citizen would be required to maintain personal health coverage. Referring to the country's current system as "broken," Schwarzenegger again backed President Barack Obama's efforts by pleading with lawmakers to support healthcare reconstruction. The governor cited the idea of a possible Medicaid expansion, with a state price tag of $1 billion annually, as a need to act sooner than later.
The Republican governor also continued his anti-judge tirade this week by publicly denouncing recent decisions by a number of federal arbitrators resulting in the defeat of several proposals created by the governor himself. Schwarzenegger blames the federal courts for prolonging California's current budget situation by interfering with state worker furloughs, blocking in-home care service cuts, implementing water delivery restrictions and setting impractical reductions to California's prison population.
Somebody needs a toke...I mean a hug.
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