Posted on 05/05/2009 2:27:27 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday it's time for California to study whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use, though he's not yet advocating for such a change.
The governor was asked about a recent Field Poll showing that 56 percent of registered voters support legalizing and taxing marijuana to raise revenues for cash-strapped California. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, has proposed legislation that would legalize the drug for recreational use, rather than just medical purposes.
"Well, I think it's not time for that, but I think it's time for a debate," Schwarzenegger said. "I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I'm always for an open debate on it. And I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect did it have on those countries?"
He said his native Austria is revisiting some of its marijuana laws, for instance. The Austrian Parliament last year authorized medical marijuana.
"It could very well be that everyone is happy with that decision and then we could move to that," Schwarzenegger said of other nations' legalization policies. "If not, we shouldn't do it. But just because of raising revenues ... we have to be careful not to make mistakes at the same time.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Yes.
Start here and click away.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nhtsa+marijuana&btnG=Google+Search&rlz=1R2ADBF_en&aq=f&oq=
“why would you call someone against unwarranted governmental authority over personal choice a liberal? Its so called conservatives that want to force their beliefs on everyone else that keeps a lot of potential votes on the democrat side.”
_____________________
If we were taliking about abortion then your “personal choice” beliefs would identify you as a ....
wait for it.....
liberal.
Wrong.
Growing your own would “take” money (taxes) out of the gubmint’s hands.
If pot were legalized, the second thing the State would do would be to BAN all homegrown weed.
The first thing - of course - would be to TAX THE CRAP out of it.
Legalized pot - A liberals wet dream!
I don’t know anyone that does not do both; smoke pot and have booze at the same time. I have seen people drink and not smoke pot but I have never seen someone smoke pot and not drink so it would be an interesting study.
14 million in USA, that is why I noted maybe only 3 million in CA if 10%
I would call it in line with personal freedom and responsibility - something you supposedly stand for if you’re on this board, and none of your damn business if someone wants to do it.
Oh I thought you meant in CA.
but we weren't talking about that though, were we? And if we were talking about abortion, "personal choice" wouldn't enter the discussion because no one has a choice to commit murder. and it doesn't have to be a religous belief to believe that.
why don't you go ahead and explain why you have a right to decide what someone smokes, drinks or ingests?
Lets take this liberal logic and use it to argue about abortion.
Based on what you are saying....
“I would call it in line with personal freedom and responsibility - something you supposedly stand for if you’re on this board, and none of your damn business if someone wants to do it.”
I guess its safe to say you are PRO-ABORTION.
Sorry. You’re on the wrong board. DU is over here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
“why don’t you go ahead and explain why you have a right to decide what someone smokes, drinks or ingests?”
________________________________________________
Sure. I could do that.
Right after you explain why you have the right to argue for a BIGGER GOVERNMENT and HIGHER TAXES.
Where did i say anything about supporting higher taxes and bigger government? can you come up with an argument without making stuff up? I thought only liberals did that.
And while we are at it, I do have the right to argue for whatever government I want. thats called individual liberty. If I argued for more govt and taxes, I'd be wrong, but I am free to do so. Ever hear the phrase "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death to protect your right to say it"?
Try engaging your brain before the keyboard. And i'm still waiting for your justification for intruding on individual liberty.
NHTSA Accident Study Finds Drugs Not Big Danger on the Road, the Main Danger is Alcohol. Marijuana By Itself Not an Apparent Driving Hazard
The NHTSA report, “The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers,” by K.W. Terhune, et al. of the Calspan Corp. Accident Research Group in Buffalo, NY (Report # DOT-HS-808-065) is available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield VA 22161
Thank you for your help.
Besides if we legalize pot here in the US, it means less money for Mexican Drug Cartels.
“1. Drop drug addicts from being able to receive SSDI and SSI.”
Would you please provide me with something that shows that drug addicts can get SSI or SSDI because of their addiction?
I’ve heard that before but do not believe it.
When I ran for office years ago I was told the anti-drug budget was 165 Billion given to police efforts around the country for 14 million people - I thought we might as well let’em kill themselves and save some money - it seems like a lot for so few people.
“Umm...the reason there are drug cartels is because drugs and the market that gets them to the end users are illegal.”
But there is some very tricky logic in that statement that otherwise intelligent drug warriors just cannot seem to grasp.
Apparently, and to his credit, the Austrian is not entertaining the harebrained notion to nurture and facilitate the growth of small business in California. Small business simply doesn't generate their fair share of tax revenue.
Neither is the governor foolish enough to harbor large corporations in California. Large corporations generally have the means to shelter their profits and don't return an equitable revenue to the coffers of either state government or organized labor. Additionally, large corporations, outside agriculture, typically require an employee skill set well beyond that of California's new modal resident. Just as tank driving is not usually a prerequisite for entry level work in the political class, a certificate of competency from an ESL class does not usually generate a 6 figure income from Toyota or IBM, the threshold for meaningful, state income tax obligations.
Schwarzenegger is also wise enough to recognize that California's wealthy are simply not doing their fair share to subsidize the failure of economic models in the southern regions of our hemisphere. California's shrinking middle class must be made to recognize their increasing moral obligation to ameliorate the social failures of our geopolitical neighbors.
After reading this, I wish for only one thing... to have seen the expression on your face when you wrote it.
LOL.
I think you pretty well nailed the thought process of Sacramento’s resident ruler.
I’ve known more than a few people who’s lives have been practically destroyed from smoking pot.
Not from the actual smoking, from getting caught smoking.
I’ve known more than a few people who’s lives have been practically destroyed from smoking pot.
Not from the actual smoking, from getting caught smoking.
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