It's High Time, Dude

LEGALIZATION DEBATE - (St. Augustine, FL)- Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to debate the legalization of Marijuana not just for medicinal advantages but for recreational purposes in the Golden State.
According to an online San Francisco Chronicle article, “California's projected budget deficit has grown as large as $21.3 billion”
Gov. Schwarzenegger has stated in a press conference that “ ideas of creating extra revenues (are worth considering) … I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalised marijuana and other drugs." The benefit to California if marijuana is legalized is that they can tax sales of the illegal substance. According to a recent public opinion poll of California voters, a majority of 56 percent favor legalization of marijuana. If the legalization were to be implemented, this California trend is likely to meet with some favoring along with plenty of resistance in many other parts of the country.
St. Augustine locals have a very mixed view of the situation.
Flagler College Bugg’s Bistro employee Patrick Graham, 22 says that “I think that if the entire nation did that (legalize recreational Marijuana), the entire country would greatly benefit and reduce its deficit considerably and I would be more than happy to buy my weed at a highly taxed rate.”
Flagler College Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Yvan Kelly has a totally different opinion when it comes to the legalization of pot. “Just think, if marijuana was legalized all of you kids would not even find logic in anything anymore- you would just stop attending school to get high, not come in to work because you’re probably too high or sleeping in, and probably use up all your parents hard earned money in order to get a hold of marijuana. You think that’s a fair system? I most certainly do not think so.”
Claire Lawrance, 56 currently unemployed and mother of 3 teenagers aged 13, 15, and 19 is all for it. “If booze, cigarettes and prescription medicines are okay with the government- all of which are heavily abused and can kill a human being, I don’t get why marijuana is such a big issue here.”
Here's the thing. If marijuana is not legalized people who smoke the stuff will continue, people who don't will not. Criminals will continue to profit from the production, distribution, and sale of marijuana. Drug lords will continue to decapitate rivals and hurt innocent folks. Prisons will remain overcrowded with new recruits for harder crimes with no chance for a real life. Taxpayers will continue to dump $$$ billions to enforce marijuana laws. The failed war on drugs will rage on. But if Marijuana is legalized for casual use costly prison overcrowding goes away. Costly public safety budgets are reduced. Police can focus on real crime. A new economic market is opened for growth and jobs. Drug king pins lose. Safety of use is assured. Tax revenues increase without raising taxes on anything else. So where is the debate? It's a true win-win to legalize marijuana.