The Shifting Tide on Marijuana Legalization

by Matt Kelley · 2009-05-08 05:26:00 UTC
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California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made headlines this week by expressing his support for a commission to study the potential effects of legalizing and taxing marijuana. It was another big step in the right direction for marijuana legalization, and another sign that budget woes could be a driving force in the next stage of this debate. California is facing a budget shortfall of $20 billion and taxing pot could bring the state an additional $1.3 billion a year in revenue.

His announcement comes paired with a new Zogby poll this week that found for the first time that a majority of Americans - 52% - support the legalization and taxation of marijuana.

“I think it’s time for a debate,” Schwarzenegger said. “I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues; I’m always for an open debate on it. And I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs. What effect did it have on those countries?”

New drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, by all accounts a reasonable police chief when he was in Seattle and a good choice for the position by President Obama, was approved easily by the Senate yesterday. His appointment is a welcome change, say leaders at NORML and MPP.

"I think we are watching this with an open mind. He can't be worse than his predecessor," Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project said. "By most accounts, Chief Kerlikowske has been somebody, while certainly not a reformer, not the sort of person we would necessarily choose, he sees to be somebody you can at least have a rational dialogue with."

Ex-drug czar John Walters couldn't handle all of this without a fight. In an appearance on CNN Wednesday night, he managed to fit into five minutes claims that marijuana is gateway drug, it either makes people unresponsive and helpless or incredibly violent, nobody is in jail for marijuana offenses and plenty of other lies.

It was a good week for the sea change. Reform doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen. If you support the legalization and taxation of marijuana, make your voice heard today.

Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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