REVOLUTION TIME: WE NEED WEED

A California state assemblyman took a revolutionary step when he
introduced a bill to legalize and tax marijuana in California. Tom
Armiano, who believes that taxing the drug would help relieve
California's financial crisis, began the first steps toward legalizing
the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, plant. If the
legislation passes, California will be the first state to legalize
marijuana for recreational use.

His actions are exactly what California needs during this time of
financial crisis, despite the arguments of those who oppose the bill.
The legislation is also a progressive step in the war on drugs. One
that finally avoids "just say no," a policy that not only has been an
abysmal failure but also an enormous black hole hell - bent on
consuming taxpayer dollars - dollars the golden state cannot afford to
lose.

The primary argument against legalizing marijuana is the classic song
we have heard for generations: This drug will destroy our society.
Smoking marijuana causes lung damage, encourages misbehavior and
further drug use. It prevents one from being a productive member of
society. With the exception of lung damage, anti-marijuana groups spit
out these lines on an endless loop, without ever taking time to
support their claims.

There are plenty of legal drugs and substances that display the
consequences listed above but are allowed to remain legal because we
have learned that it is a better option than prohibiting them. Alcohol
is harmful to health, causes irresponsible behavior and when consumed
in excess, can destroy a person's livelihood. Yet, when it was banned
in the 1920s, people were able to procure alcohol within seconds of
entering major cities. Not only was prohibition ineffective, it raised
the status of crime lords like Al Capone who smuggled or brewed alcohol.

Financially speaking, marijuana rakes in billions of dollars a year in
California alone. Our society is already virtually ruined, thanks to a
deep recession. The money made from taxing marijuana would help our
desperate state climb out of the hole. According to an article in the
Guardian, conservative estimates suggest that taxing marijuana will
put $13 billion a year in the state's pocket. Currently, marijuana
makes more than grapes, vegetables and hay combined in California and
is our great state's largest cash crop, according to DrugScience.org,
a Web site that provides scientific information about medical
marijuana. Since the drug is already being grown and distributed, it
would be neglectful not to take advantage of such a lucrative business
for the betterment of the people.

Many state legislators oppose such action because it symbolizes
surrender in the war on drugs and encourages our children to use
drugs. However, the bill represents the most important step in the
battle against drugs in recent memory. First, the bill only allows
people aged 21 and over to grow, purchase or sell marijuana. This
shrinks those we need to protect from the drug to a much more
manageable group.

Second, the war on drugs is a joke. Over two decades ago, Reagan
declared war on an inanimate object. Why not declare war on
cheeseburgers? They have done considerably more damage to our nation's
children. The Reagan administration arbitrarily picked an issue to
help build its campaign. Today, obesity costs U.S. citizens far more
money and is considerably more prevalent. Cardiovascular disease is
the primary cause of death in the nation. The fight on drugs has also
been only marginally effective. Since Reagan, the nation's overall
drug use has waxed and waned according to overarching trends in
society, not according to the government's raids and
legislation.

Most importantly, if our state were to legalize marijuana, we would
gain a series of benefits that would actually help the failing war on
drugs. With marijuana turned into a legitimate business, an enormous
portion of the danger would be removed due to new regulations.
Products would be tested and standardized. Deals would be in the open
rather than in dark alleys. With extra funding gained from taxing and
resources saved from fighting a drug that does not possess any more
danger than alcohol, the state could handle drugs worth fighting like
cocaine and heroine.

The question is not whether marijuana will ever be legalized, but
when. As baby boomers and subsequent generations enter positions of
power, marijuana regulations will inevitably be removed. President
Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have all
admitted to smoking marijuana. Even Ted Turner, one of the largest
landowners in the United States and a famous media mogul, advocates
legalization.

This progressive step represents an evolution in the effort to control
drug abuse, not an abdication. Financially, a struggling California
desperately needs support. Now is not the time to cling to outdated,
stubborn and silly ideas. The time is for change so we may adapt, rise
above the difficulty of our era and pave the way for the rest of the
nation.

Kevin Pease is a fourth-year psychology and social behavior major.