Schwarzenegger welcomes debate on marijuana tax

**Prince** · 05-05-2009, 10:31 PM

Schwarzenegger welcomes debate on marijuana tax

Schwarzenegger welcomes debate on marijuana tax AFP/File – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, seen here, said he would welcome a debate on taxing marijuana …

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would welcome a debate on taxing marijuana sales but said he remained opposed to legalizing the drug in the state.

Schwarzenegger was speaking just a few days after a recent Field Poll indicated a majority of Californians supported legalizing the drug, a move that would help raise valuable tax revenues for the cash-strapped state.

Asked if it was time to legalize marijuana, Schwarzenegger told reporters on the sidelines of a wildfire awareness briefing: "No. I think that it's not time for that, but I think it's time for a debate.

"I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I'm always for an open debate on it.

"I think that we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect it had on those countries, and are they happy with that decision?"

Under California law, marijuana can be prescribed for medicinal or therapeutic use, a policy which puts the state at odds with federal law that prohibits all use of the drug.

Former Hollywood star and bodybuilder Schwarzenegger said that any decision to legalize marijuana should not be taken solely to raise revenue.

"... just because of raising revenues, we have to be very careful not to make mistakes at the same time," he said.

source

**Hoglander** · 05-05-2009, 11:41 PM

I spent my younger years toking illegally. I hope to spend my retirement years smoking pot legally(without medical need).

Wake and bake and off to fishing hot spots, that's what life was made for.

**Dale Mabry** · 05-06-2009, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by Hoglander

I spent my younger years toking illegally. I hope to spend my retirement years smoking pot legally(without medical need).

Wake and bake and off to fishing hot spots, that's what life was made for.

I hear that!

**IronAddict** · 05-06-2009, 08:02 AM

touche', my good man.

56% of registered voters in Cal. support this measure, do the shiite already!

**Prince** · 05-06-2009, 08:48 AM

I cannot think of a good reason to NOT legalize MJ, UNLESS alcohol is going to become illegal, otherwise MJ has every right to be legal.

**IronAddict** · 05-06-2009, 09:01 AM

Definitely. Especially after some of that crazy shiite out there that's legal. News flash- it's not 1950 anymore!

Alc. was legal, then illegal, now legal again. Why can't MJ have that same due process ?

**Hench** · 05-06-2009, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by IronAddict

Definitely. Especially after some of that crazy shiite out there that's legal. News flash- it's not 1950 anymore!

Alc. was legal, then illegal, now legal again. Why can't MJ have that same due process ?

Mostly because of ignorance. The same reason many things are the way they are.

It'll be very interesting to see what politics and laws will be like in 20-30 years when the students of today are running the country. They are growing up in a very different world than todays politicians did. Put it this way, of the several hundred people I know at university, I would struggle to name more than ten who wouldnt have a few tokes on a spliff if you handed it to them. And well over half these people smoke on a regular basis.

**IronAddict** · 05-06-2009, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Moondogg

Mostly because of ignorance. The same reason many things are the way they are.

It'll be very interesting to see what politics and laws will be like in 20-30 years when the students of today are running the country. They are growing up in a very different world than todays politicians did. Put it this way, of the several hundred people I know at university, I would struggle to name more than ten who wouldnt have a few tokes on a spliff if you handed it to them. And well over half these people smoke on a regular basis.

That's an understatement for sure!

I think we should gather all the worlds leaders at the U.N. and have one big smoke out, or a Pow wow, whatever. Then they would realise how petty and minatory they have been over many, many decades. I mean afterall, it's not to far out of the realm to say that most politicians smoked pot before. Unless you're a heathen from some middle eastern country somewhere, in that case they've smoked hasih. geesh... I guess that's why I'm not in charge!

**Prince** · 05-06-2009, 10:36 AM

the only argument I know of is the "MJ is a gateway drug", which its not, but other than that one there is nothing about MJ that is worse than alcohol, in fact its MUCH safer!

**IronAddict** · 05-06-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Prince

the only argument I know of is the "MJ is a gateway drug", which its not, but other than that one there is nothing about MJ that is worse than alcohol, in fact its MUCH safer!

I'm with you on this one chief!

**Marat** · 05-06-2009, 01:51 PM

The end of federal raids is a nice step in the right direction.

**charliemurphy9** · 05-06-2009, 02:19 PM

California needs the extra income.

**maniclion** · 05-06-2009, 02:27 PM

Paka is the grooviest plant on Earth, the Gods invented it for a reason, it's the Gateway to World Peace.....

**Marat** · 05-06-2009, 02:31 PM

They chronicled (sorry for the pun) this guy and this program in the movie In Pot We Trust. But this situation is very interesting.

Psst... Government-Supplied Marijuana Program Turns 30 | DrugReporter | AlterNet

**Gazhole** · 05-07-2009, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by IronAddict

Definitely. Especially after some of that crazy shiite out there that's legal. News flash- it's not 1950 anymore!

Alc. was legal, then illegal, now legal again. Why can't MJ have that same due process ?

Because weed is an evil evil drug that will drive you to insane satanic rituals, muder, theft, and prostitution just to get a fix.

At least thats what my pastor told me.

**Big Smoothy** · 05-07-2009, 06:24 AM

I don't smoke Marijuana. Tried it a couple times about 25 years ago, and it wasn't for me.

But I know plenty of people from all backgrounds and walks of life who enjoy a Saturday toke, and sometimes more often than that.

The US federal government has been on an 80-year failed campaign to make people believe this natural plant will cause one to become violent, insane, do bad things etc.

It started in the 1930s, with government produced movie (that were false) and even posters were put up in subways in NYC.

With alcohol there was Prohibition. Same with Marijuana.

But with Marijuana it's changing now....and how convenient....the government can make money off of it by taxing it because it needs revenue.

**soxmuscle** · 05-07-2009, 10:02 AM

If marijuana was legal, all of my paranoia when I smoke would go away.

**Hench** · 05-07-2009, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

If marijuana was legal, all of my paranoia when I smoke would go away.

Ding.Ding.Ding!!! We have a winner.

Everybody I know feels this same way. They say weed makes you paranoid, bullshit. The thing the VAST majority of people are paranoid about is getting caught smoking weed, because they dont want such a petty little thing like a spliff to affect the rest of their life.

I have been thinking about stopping smoking weed recently, for no other reason than I worry too much about getting caught. And to make matters worse, the government recently upgraded weed back to a Class B (downgraded to class C in '02) AGAINST the adive of their cheif medical advisor. Why can they do this? What the fuck gives them the right just to ignore reasoning and do whatever the hell they want?

**IronAddict** · 05-07-2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Because weed is an evil evil drug that will drive you to insane satanic rituals, muder, theft, and prostitution just to get a fix.

At least thats what my pastor told me.

It sounds as if he watched that movie Big Smoothy was talking about.

YouTube Video

**Prince** · 05-07-2009, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Because weed is an evil evil drug that will drive you to insane satanic rituals, muder, theft, and prostitution just to get a fix.

At least thats what my pastor told me.

yes, and not having sex turns priests into pedophiles and they end up fuck little boys.

**tucker01** · 05-07-2009, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by Moondogg

Ding.Ding.Ding!!! We have a winner.

Everybody I know feels this same way. They say weed makes you paranoid, bullshit. The thing the VAST majority of people are paranoid about is getting caught smoking weed, because they dont want such a petty little thing like a spliff to affect the rest of their life.

Getting caught has never been a fear of mine. and Yes weed does make me paranoid.

However I have no problem with legalizing it, I am all for it.

**Hench** · 05-07-2009, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Getting caught has never been a fear of mine. and Yes weed does make me paranoid.

However I have no problem with legalizing it, I am all for it.

Different folks, different strokes.

I dont even know why I care about getting caught that much, over here its only a caution the first time. Still, not that appealing....

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