The Sacramento Bee in an editorial published today gave even stronger reasons than new tax income to legalize marijuana in California. Read the editorial at:
http://www.sacbee.com/...
The Bee editorial argued the prospect of new tax income is not the reason to start serious debate on legalizing pot, instead "The reason to begin the debate is the demonstrable failure of the nation's drug laws." The Bee goes on to say the "War on Drugs" (prohibition and law enforcement approaches) is not working and "seems unsustainable."
According to the Field Poll, 56% of Californians would approve legalizing pot for recreational use as well as medicinal use. Now is the time to put an initiative on the California ballot to legalize pot. Can you imagine the pro and con TV advertising and home mailers! This Initiative would really spur voter turnout, do you think!
Here's the gist of the Sac Bee editorial:
Editorial: Legal pot? Let's talk – for right reasons
Published: Thursday, May. 7, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 20A
"On the subject of legalizing marijuana, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is right. And he's wrong.
[snip]
With a bill to legalize and tax marijuana introduced in the Legislature, and with a recent Field Poll showing 56 percent of registered voters in favor of legalizing and taxing marijuana to raise revenue for the state, a debate is in order.
[snip]
Two decades of the "war on drugs" have failed to dry up the American market for illegal drugs. Instead, that effort has filled the nation's prisons, while the continuing market for drugs has fueled violence in both this country and Mexico.
That is the context in which Americans – not just Californians but all Americans – should debate questions such as legalizing marijuana....But as Californians join the discussion, they should keep the larger picture in mind.
A billion dollars or so in tax revenues [is]...small potatoes compared with what's at stake as the nation tries to come to grips with its boundless appetite for getting high and the incredible costs of that appetite."
The California legislature is not going to get ahead of public opinion on its own. Let's work toward putting an initiative on the ballot in 2010 to legalize marijuana.