The real truth behind California’s loosening of the pot laws
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Getting caught with up to an ounce of pot (enough for about 30 joints) in California will get you in about as much trouble as driving a little too fast. What’s behind Schwarzenegger’s decision to decriminalize recreational pot? The Week takes a look at 5 theories.
- He’s actually trying to kill Proposition 19: It could be tough to get people to support the full legalization of recreational marijuana when it’s basically legal.
- He had the state’s wretched budget in mind: He’s basically said this is the reason. When you’re strapped for cash, why spend money prosecuting a teen caught with some weed?
- He had civil rights in mind: An analysis of the 61,000 people who got nabbed last year showed that African Americans in the state have triple the likelihood of being arrested for personal marijuana possession—even though young whites smoke more pot than young blacks.
- He likes the stuff: There was that scene in 1977’s Pumping Iron that shoes him smoking a joint while eating a big hunk of cake…
Click here for No. 5.
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I think he looks at it as a cost cutting measure for sure- and despite how he sounds he is intelligent to know that possession is a victimless crime. If he made it retroactive to all the pending cases, now THAT would be something!
Bravo, Gov. Ahnold. Why decriminalize pot now? It’s high time we did. Cost-cutting measures. Inmates jailed for possession or sale can serve up to 10 years. Illegal marijuana is so akin to prohibition, it’s niave to assume such laws will prohibit use. Too many of those incarcerated interact with inmates who are far more dangerous to society and often end up committing far worse crime upon release. I hardlyneed to discussI don’t need to express the medical and environmental and positive impact of marijuana. From a purely fiscal standpoint, legalized marijuana would also create thousands of “green jobs.” Rather than serve as a tool to stop Prop 19, Gov. Ahnold just paved the way to de-stigmatizing pot use and allow for long overdue leglization. Given California’s 13% unemployment rate, this bill serves as a first step to this ridiculous law. The governor will leave office in November, so he has nothing to lose. YES ON 19.
Perhaps Arnold is trying to muddy the waters, so come voting day, things will lack clarity.
I’m not so sure, Holte. This is a nice slap in the face to Nixon’s “war on drugs” and Reagan’s idiotic “just say no.” The gubenator indulged, so I doubt “muddying the waters” is his intent He’s been a cypher that tends to vacillate between progressive and conservative legislation from his first day in office. Bro, please remove my duplicative comments… sorry. I will be back on a real computer by Sunday.
Bravl to Gov. Ahnold. Why decriminalize pot now? Cost-cutting measures are one factz and and inmates jailed for possession or sale can serve up to 10 years. Illegal marijuana is so akin to prohibition, it’s niave to assume such laws will prohibit use. Too many of thosE incarcerated interact with inmates who are far more dangerous to society and often end up committing far worse crime upon release. I hardlyneed to discussI don’t need to express the medical and environmental and positive impact of marijuana. From a purely fiscal standpoint, legalized marijuana would also create thousands of “green jobs.” Rather than serve as a tool to stop Prop 19, Gov. Ahnold just paved the way to de-stigmatizing pot use and allow for long overdue leglization. Given California’s 13% unemployment rate, this bill serves as a first step to this ridiculous law. The governor will leave office in November, so he has nothing to lose YES ON 19.
Bravl to Gov. Ahnold. Why decriminalize pot now? Cost-cutting measures are one factz and and inmates jailed for possession or sale can serve up to 10 years. Illegal marijuana is so akin to prohibition, it’s niave to assume such laws will prohibit use. Too many of thos incarcerated interact with inmates who are far more dangerous to society and often end up committing far worse crime upon release. I hardlyneed to discussI don’t need to express the medical and environmental and positive impact of marijuana. From a purely fiscal standpoint, legalized marijuana would also create thousands of “green jobs.” Rather than serve as a tool to stop Prop 19, Gov. Ahnold just paved the way to de-stigmatizing pot use and allow for long overdue leglization. Given California’s 13% unemployment rate, this bill serves as a first step to overturn this ridiculous law. The governor will leave office in November, so he has nothing to lose.
I’m sure they could clean out a few prison cells if that passed. But what about the private prison lobby? How are they going to make all that loot with empty cells?