ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: IT'S HIGH TIME TO REVIEW MARIJUANA LAW

Arnold Schwarzenegger has never apologised for smoking pot - and
loving it -- at the height of his bodybuilding career in the 1970s.
Now, as a struggling Republican governor of California reaching a
crossroads in his political career, he might yet become America's most
visible advocate for legalising marijuana.

The actor-turned-politician gladdened the heart of every joint-roller
and dope fiend across the Golden State earlier this week when he said
it was time for a full debate on legalisation.

Schwarzenegger was careful not to say too much he stopped shorting
of saying he was in favour of legalising cannabis now but his words
broke a long-standing taboo among both Republicans and Democrats who
have previously felt obliged to say marijuana must remain illegal, and
marijuana users and pushers be subject to criminal
prosecution.

The governor spoke in response to a new public opinion poll showing
that 56% of registered voters in California favour legalising and
taxing marijuana in part to help the state out of the worst budget
crisis in its history. The state faces a shortfall of billions of
dollars a year because of the bad economy, and public services from
schools to hospitals to fire-fighting services are under mounting threat.

Asked if he too favoured legalisation, Schwarzenegger told reporters:
"Well, I think it's not time for that, but I think it's time for a
debate. I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues [are
worth considering] ... I think we ought to study very carefully what
other countries are doing that have legalised marijuana and other
drugs. What effect did it have on those countries?"

The redwood forests of northern California are famous for their
marijuana cultivation, creating an underground economy that has
continued to thrive despite America's decades-long war on drugs. The
Golden State has been a leading rebel against the federal government's
strict interdiction policies, becoming the first of 14 US states to
allow marijuana for medical use as far back as 1996.

Legalisation, however, has never been a serious part of the
agenda.

The most immediate effect of the governor's comments is likely to be a
boost for a legalisation bill recently introduced in the state
assembly by a San Francisco liberal Democrat called Tom Ammiano. Such
bills pop up every few years and are almost always ignored or
defeated, but this one may just be different now.

"I look forward to working with the governor and my colleagues in the
effort to be the first state in the nation to enact commonsense policy
on marijuana," an elated Ammiano said. His proposed system of
legalising and taxing marijuana would raise an estimated $1.3bn a year
in tax revenue alone, according to state legislative analysts. The
savings in law enforcement and incarceration costs could be many
billions more.

Schwarzenegger may feel he has little to lose. He feels out of step
within an increasingly rigid, increasingly hardline conservative
Republican party, and the economic crisis in California has pushed his
popularity ratings below 40%.