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On Legalizing Marijuana and California's State Budget Crisis
Among the Prop 8 chalk graffiti, someone added this marijuana advocacy piece last night | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal suggest eliminating welfare. If that would happen, California would be the only state without such a program. "You would think they would legalize weed before this," quipped Shane Hirschman, a multimedia designer, on Twitter.
Earlier this month, Schwarzenegger said it is time to seriously look into the possibility of legalizing marijuana. It's not going to solve the state's billion dollar budget problem, but it will help. In stalled legislation introduced by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano earlier this year, a tax on weed would generate $1 billion in new revenue. California is currently facing a projected $24 billion deficit.
However, if legalizing marijuana ever happens, it won't be over night. Expect a long dragged out fight from both sides of the issue.
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