Schwarzenegger Pushes For Debate On Legalizing Marijuana

In February a state lawmaker introduced a measure that would decriminalize marijuana in California. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano suggested regulating and taxing pot could pump $1.3 billion annually into the state's shaky economy. He got a handful of headlines but the bill didn't spark much debate and Ammiano was mostly portrayed as a fringe figure from kooky San Francisco.

On CNN a month later Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) said the state should launch a pilot program that would explore legalizing marijuana. Sanchez likened the issue to the prohibition of alcohol last century and said most Californians believe pot laws should be relaxed. (A recent Field Poll supports her claim: 56 percent of California voters say cannabis should be legal for recreational use and taxed). The interview made the blog rounds since it appeared to be the first time a national politician addressed the issue seriously on a mainstream media outlet.

Today an even bigger figure has taken up the discussion on whether to decriminalize and tax marijuana. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it's time to at least debate the issue. The Republican governor made it clear that he's not for legalizing weed, but he doesn't want to be afraid to talk about it.

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

The former Hollywood actor, who has admitted smoking marijuana in the past, cited his native Austria as a country where "they want to roll back some of the decisions that were made in European countries."

In 1996 voters in California became the first to approve medicinal marijuana. A dozen other states have followed suit. But in 2004, Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have eased rules on how much medical marijuana patients can possess. Today's comments show that the governor is coming around on the issue, possibly motivated by potential revenue. He knows as well as anyone that $1.3 billion would go a long way towards closing California's monumental budget gap.