California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Senate Bill 1449, effectively reducing possession of less than an ounce of pot from a misdemeanor crime to an infraction. In a statement issued to members of the California State Senate, the Governator warned that he still does not support Proposition 19 or the decriminalization of marijuana in general. Instead, he sought to frame his decision to sign the bill as primarily motivated by budgetary issues.
"In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket,"Â Schwarzenegger said in the statement. The punishment for possession of less than an ounce of pot in California will remain the same at $100.
It's a smart move on the part of Schwarzenneger. There's not question that prosecuting individuals caught with small amounts of marijuana is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. The bill does not legalize pot, but rather continues a trend of making the punishment for possession suit the nature of the crime. There's still an abundance of overly harsh anti-marijuana regulations on the books. Students caught with pot can have their student loans suspended for more than a year, more than that for repeat offenders. That's the type of punishment that can ruin a person life. Pretty word for a country supposedly governed by a Constitution that bans cruel and unusual punishment.
Photo by Erik Fenderson
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Comments: 30
Too bad this capability for compromise wasn't more generally in evidence, through his tenure.
At the same time that minor infractions are given a pass as 'unprofitable' to prosecute, more serious & sophisticated efforts should be directed at finding & suppressing large-scale marijuana grow operations.
How sad
Even in states where they banned texting while driving (which I think is a bad idea) it's actually *increased* the accident rate. Why? Because they are holding it lower and hiding it. Didn't STOP it, just put it into hiding.
They should just legalize it. Get it done and over with.
I'm pro dope legalization too. I'm confident the social cost of legal dope is lower than the social cost of illegal dope. It's a simple cost benefit calculation.
But will we be seeing a wholesale bunch of doped workers, drivers and others running the state? And how will we deal with all the kids who see it as permission to get stoned and don't know how to stop? Will required rehab and heavy duty community service be helpful or not? We'll have to see.
I like to joke that if Gary Johnson were to have Ron Paul as his running mate, that's his life insurance.
Gary Johnson was interviewed on a national expose featuring Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). The LEAP guys are about as courageous as it gets.
If Kucinich were to run for the d's, peace and the Bill of Rights would have a chance. We need somebody to stop the wars and suicides. The usual suspects are not getting it done.