Legalize Marijuana

Victor Hugo once famously wrote that “more powerful than the march of mighty armies is an idea whose time has finally come.”

With a $42 billion deficit looming over California it may be time for a paradigm shift. I’m talking about some serious outside-the-box thinking--so far outside the box that we will be practically back in it.

By that I mean this idea is really a no brainer. Legalize marijuana and tax the living snot out of it. It’s not as if the federal government even has the resources to effectively control the illegal sale and consumption of this prolific herb. So let’s join hands and let bygones be bygones.

With the idea of legalizing marijuana now more popular nationwide than republicans in Congress, according to the latest CNN/Time poll, California has demonstrated once again that it is light-years ahead of the rest of the country.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, introduced legislation on Monday to legalize marijuana and earn perhaps $1 billion annually by taxing it. Quintin Mecke, Ammiano's press secretary said the proposed bill "would remove all penalties in California law on cultivation, transportation, sale, purchase, possession, or use of marijuana, natural THC, or paraphernalia for persons over the age of 21." The bill would additionally prohibit state and local law officials from enforcing federal marijuana laws.

Ammiano's bill calls for "establishing a fee on the sale of marijuana at a rate of $50 per ounce." Mecke said that would bring in roughly $1 billion to the state coffers, according to estimates made by marijuana advocacy organizations. "The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act (AB 390)" is a simple matter of fiscal common sense.

Now, what were we just talking about?

Take the Money and Shut It

The sheer hypocrisy of the Republican Party can be seen in the story of "The Little Red Hen." The GOP did not want to help bake the bread, but that will not stop them from wanting to participate in eating the bread.

Members of Congress should have the courage of their convictions. If they voted against the stimulus package, then they should refuse any funding being directed toward their state or district. After all, if you think that all federal spending is damaging, there are easy ways to reduce it.

The first idea that comes to mind is don't take federal money. It drives me crazy to hear republican pundits, governors, senators et al. espouse that their being against the stimulus money does not preclude them from taking federal dollars.

"This bill is loaded with wasteful deficit spending on the majority's favorite government programs," Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., said.

What about the wasteful deficit spending of the Bush years on the GOP's favorite programs like massive tax cuts for the top 1 percent of the population? Not to mention the bridge to nowhere and all the other GOP pork. States whose senators opposed the bill should get zero from it, not a penny.

"The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart is right on with this zinger.

“That’s like saying I don’t believe in gay rights but if that guy in the cowboy hat over there is giving out free b***jobs who am I to not get in line,” Stewart quipped.