California's Prop 19 may start a trend

In November, Californians will have a chance to decide whether or not
to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for those of the age of
21 by approving Proposition 19.

Proposition 19 would allow people to possess, at maximum, an ounce of
marijuana. Property owners would be able to grow the plant on up to 25
square feet in their yards. Users would not be allowed to smoke in
front of people under 21 or in public areas.

Proposition 19 would also make it illegal to possess the drug on
school grounds or drive under its influence.

However, it is up to California's various local governments to permit
and tax marijuana use in their jurisdictions.

California would be the first state to legalize recreational use. It
legalized medical marijuana in 1996. 14 states including Alaska,
Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii and Maine have also legalized medical
marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, but this
could change in the future.

Many are concerned that with the legalization of marijuana comes a
higher price. These people believe that teenagers will eventually use
marijuana as a gateway drug, meaning that they will turn towards more
dangerous hardcore drugs to satisfy that "high" feeling. Others argue
that with successful drug awareness education, this factor would not
even become a concern if Proposition 19 passes.

Yet even as these petty arguments about the drug's morals are tossed
back and forth, the heart of the matter is California's over-the-top
$19 billion debt.

This month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed a bill that moved the
possession of the drug from a misdemeanor to an infraction, the lowest
level of all state laws. Its punishments usually just include a fine
of $100 or a mandated class for minors.. The new law, SB 1449,
discontinues the arrest of those who are caught with possession.
Offenders do not have to deal with a criminal record. This becomes
important because the state would waste less money on court cases and
jurisdictions over possession, instead tackling more punishable crimes
like rape, fraud or murder.

Regulating the sales and taxes of marijuana could save the government
$200 million every year in public safety costs, introduce a new
business market, increase local government revenues, decrease the rate
of petty crimes and stop the illicit activities of those who grow and
distribute under the government's nose.

In April, a Field Poll showed that many of California's citizens
disapproved of the proposition and were against the legalization of
marijuana. But with this possible new law, many who do distribute
illegally would have to compete with larger corporate distributors, a
factor that seemed to have played into the data.

At the end of the day, though, the benefits of Proposition 19 seem to
outweigh the negative consequences as long as the government can
thoroughly cover every loophole in the system.

According to Jesse McKinley in the New York Times, a Field Poll
released on Sept. 26 showed that 49 percent of likely voters approved
of the proposition while 42 percent did not.

If passed, carried out properly and as planned, this bill has the
potential to change history as we know it.