REEFER SANITY

With just a month to go before California votes on Proposition
19-that's the piece of legislation that may just legalize the
recreational use of marijuana for American adults over the age of
21-cautious optimists are starting to feel some sanity may finally be
seeping through the cracks after nearly a century of reefer madness.

While Proposition 19 still wouldn't technically legalize recreational
pot smoking (which is very different and far more widespread than
medical marijuana use), it would essentially decriminalize the
pleasure of puffing on joint . . . and may even eliminate the nagging
paranoia that comes with worrying about putting your legal status at
risk for a lifestyle choice. Even more interesting is that the bill
also offers a local initiative whereby California cities and counties
could decide for themselves if they were going to allow regulated pot
sales (similar to American states that offer both wet and dry
counties), as well as imposing and collecting fees and taxes on the
sale of marijuana.

Holy smokes!

Making money from selling pot-isn't that what drug dealers are
for?

Of course, in the inevitable effort to forestall the "liberalizing" of
pot laws, and the apparent collapse of western civilization as we know
it, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last week
making possession of up to one ounce an infraction, instead of a
misdemeanour, with marijuana miscreants now facing a mere $100
fine-the equivalent of a speeding ticket.

Clearly, Schwarzenegger seems to be hoping this will undercut 19's
popularity, which he officially opposes (because, you know, it's far
better for people to be entertained by having a few drinks and
watching graphically violent action movies like Commando than by, say,
getting stoned and listening to music).

Personally, I'm not getting my hopes up just yet-remember, it was also
let-it-all-hang-out California that approved Proposition 8, the
same-sex marriage ban, last year-but I'd be among the first to spark
up in celebration if 19 did indeed go through . . . especially if it
signalled the start of widespread marijuana reforms across North
America. Or, at the very least, up the Pacific coast into B.C., so the
idea of a cannabis-tax-fuelled Cascadia could one day become more than
a stoner's pipe dream.

As we continue to crawl our way out of the latest recession, isn't it
past time to be looking at other ways to fill our collective empty
coffers?

More specifically, why are the powers-that-be still willing to let
only criminals profit from pot? At the risk of repeating myself (or of
preaching to the converted yet again), our international reputation
for quality cannabis could be the solution to any number of financial
woes from tourism to taxation. Ramping up hemp production for
clothing, health foods and a pulp and paper replacement would also
provide a viable future for our province that looks more to the next
century than it does cling to past glories of resource extraction.

Imagine if some other highly desireable plant product with a
centuries-long history of widespread use-coffee, perhaps, or
tobacco-was suddenly declared illegal. Would demand simply stop? Would
people suddenly wake up one morning and say, "By golly, I'm switching
to yerba mate instead of that demon weed coffee!"? Yeah, right.

I'll believe that when Victoria police chief Jamie Graham offers me an
entrapment-free toke.