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Cash-Strapped California Could Legalise Cannabis
Sky News Tuesday 05 May 2009 Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a Democrat from San Francisco, wants cannabis be sold to adults in the same way as ordinary goods with the usual taxes. But he says selling it to anyone under 21 or possession by any minor should remain an offence. Mr Ammiano said the move would generate a much-needed $1.3bn in revenue for the state, helping it to pay off its $60bn debt. A recent poll indicated the majority of Californians are in support of his proposals. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a full debate on the issue. "I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalised marijuana and other drugs, what affect it had on those countries, and are they happy with that decision," he said. Mr Schwarzenegger also argued any decision to legalise cannabis, which has been outlawed in the United States since 1937, should not be made on financial grounds alone. Mr Ammiano has claimed making it lawful would improve public safety by giving police more time to investigate serious crimes. It could also stop the damage to public land which has been used for the illicit production of cannabis, he said. In 1996 voters in California became the first in the US to approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
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