But wouldn't this also take a significant source of profit away from the cartels threatening to destabilize Mexico? If so, then we'd be getting a national security benefit from this as well.

If we legalize pot here in the States, we can legitimize the existing marijuana growers in Afghanistan and encourage opium growers to switch to pot. If pot is legalized, the many middlemen can be cut out of the loop, raising prices well above what growers can currently get for opium.

This carries two benefits: first, wiping out Afghanistan's opium production would eliminate most of the world's heroin supply--and I think we can all agree that heroin is a lot worse than pot. Second, anything we can do to create economic growth in Afghanistan is imperative, because we are rapidly losing support among the Afghani populace.

I work in medicine, and lived in Amsterdam and London, so I have been on top of this for years. To answer some of the questions we have yet to answer in this country, but the Brits, Dutch, Spanish etc learned ages ago: decriminalization does not create more users. The percentage of users actually declines with non-glamorous access. Pot is not a gateway to hard drug use: biochemically alcohol, being water soluble, is more of a gateway. Having to buy pot from a hard drug dealer creates a gateway which decriminalization/legalization stops. There are volumes of medical studies on the safety of pot, on which it is impossible to 'OD' (you will be too high to use enough to OD. It is easier to OD on coffee). The medicinal uses are countless, and proven in numerous scientific studies.

In short, to be on the brink of economic collapse, and intentionally spend billions to keep the nations #1 unsubsidized cash crop in the hands of criminals is ludicrous. Businesses licenses, sales tax, income tax and a special pot tax would all generate billions for the economy. The one point not mentioned, would be laws allowing people to grow their own. In Holland you're allowed 4 plants for personal use. That would also open new revenue streams in terms of plant sales/taxes.

And then you get ancillary industries: bongs, pipes, growing equipment, storage cases, cereal, slurpy machines, edible products like brownies, space cakes etc., CD's DVD's.....

And I'd rather be in a roomful of stoners than a roomful of drunks any day.

It has always struck me as odd that we spend so much money (on imprisonment, on court costs, on law enforcement costs) to keep pot illegal when it's far less harmful than alcohol, and when it could contribute billions of dollars to the economy. Maybe this economic crisis will be what finally gets people to realize just how much money is wasted on keeping a relatively harmless substance illegal.

As for the hysteria about "gateway drugs" - if you make apples illegal, they will be a "gateway drug" too. The reason pot is a "gateway drug" is because it's illegal, not because of its effects. Coffee is a mind-altering substance, and it doesn't appear to lead to hard drug addiction. But if you made coffee illegal, it would.

The last time I ever hit anyone outside of a martial arts class or tournament was 24 years ago. It was some dumb fuck who went out of his way to blow pot smoke in my face at a party.

Three hits. I hit him. He hit the ground. His head bounced up several inches and hit the ground again.

I make no apologies for what I did. If it happened to me today, I'd do the same thing!

That said, I fully support legalizing marijuana. We need to stop penalizing consensual behavior, whether it is who you choose to marry, whether to carry a pregnancy to term, whether to own or carry a gun and what chemicals you decide to put in your body.

As long as you're not driving stoned, giving or selling pot to kids or subjecting anyone to your secondhand smoke, I don't give a damn what you do.

uhh...if CA legalizes, how difficult will it be to get pot from CA here on the east coast? Mail order? Fly out? I can't imagine it's be at all safe to fly OUT of CA with pot in tow if the feds wanna get ya. One guesses that capitalism will find a way.

"Federal law preempts a lot of things we've done in California, anyway -- domestic partners, gay marriage, the medical use of marijuana"

I'm sorry, what was that about gay marriage?

This is the state that has a hole in it's budget the size of the Pacific, was manipulated by Enron into recalling Gray Davis, and elected Arnold for-the-love-of-God Schwarzenegger to be governor.

Twice.

I've never seen a Western government so fantastically dysfunctional (okay, maybe Louisiana). If they can keep murder outlwawed I'll be duly impressed.

This would certainly bring a lot more people back to California!

While I would gnaw of my left leg to support legalization of pot. Lets be clear when discussing the financial benefits. Bureaucracies would need to be created staffed and funded to oversee the governmental, uh... oversight of legalized but controlled and taxed weed. Though perhaps that would be offset but the tens of thousands of people who would presumably be let out of prison. Perhaps they could be given jobs with the newly created Pot Oversight Board.

That being said, let me follow up with PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEEEEEEESE!

What is being proposed here is so obvious. There is no way to be against legalizing marijuana unless you cite erroneous facts or get all moralistic about it. It's about time to say the emperor has no clothes.

Tom Ammiano is a true leader looking for solutions and win-win situations.

I mean my god increase revenues, fill the coffers, save bucks on law enforcement, save money on prisons, create a tourist haven and let people get a buzz in hard time? BRILLIANT.

To those ney sayers, well don't smoke any pot if you don't like it. Don't let your kids smoke any (good luck) and don't hang with anyone that smokes any but enjoy the windfall -- lower personal taxes, funds for education, health, infrastructure, fewer cops at risk.

Like DUH! Bring it on.