IN TERMS OF VICES, CALIFORNIA IS IN THE WEEDS

All too often, California is stereotyped as an epicenter of sin and
vice. No doubt, we have our hot spots, sometimes in unexpected places.
Scrolling through the Web, I noticed that there is a Southern
California Hedonism Meetup Group that gathers regularly in Newport
Beach.

Who woulda thought?

Yet as anyone who has spent time in California knows, this is a
diverse and often devout state, with a wide range of views of what
kind of personal activities should be tolerated, legalized or
prohibited. These differences don't break down along partisan lines.
Libertarians and Christian conservatives may end up voting for the
same candidate for president in 2012, yet they tend to have completely
different stances on legalizing drugs and online poker.

As a state, we act like an armadillo on the highway of vice. We weave
all over the road. Sure, we've been known to take strong stands when
our health is at risk. We led the nation on restricting smoking, and
our public education campaigns on diet and exercise may be having some
impact on controlling obesity.

Yet when it comes to vices that pose little direct medical harm but
may be culturally offensive, we are a house divided. Consider the case
studies of marijuana and gambling.

Some 56 percent of voters legalized medical marijuana in 1996, but
then we rejected a broader legalization initiative last year. The
status quo remains hugely divisive, with medical pot advocates
battling federal crackdowns and opponents claiming that loosely
regulated dispensaries are outlets for feeding marijuana to kids and
teenagers.

Our ambivalence about gambling also hasn't served the state well. In
1984, voters approved the California Lottery and have since endorsed
ballot measures expanding Indian casinos. Internet poker may well be
the next expansion. Who knows what will come after that?

As it turns out, gambling and marijuana are two of the most vexing
issues debated by The Bee's editorial board, and like California, we
are a house divided.

On gambling, some on our board say the "horse is out of the barn" with
Indian casinos, yet, because of court rulings, the state is limited in
what revenues and concessions it can seek from the tribes. "Why not
just legalize gambling and tax it," the argument goes. "At least we'd
get something for it."

Interestingly, some on our board who are open to legalized gambling
are less supportive of legalized marijuana. While some might say the
"horse is out of the barn" with weed, they fear that legalization
could lead to all kinds of unwanted cultural impacts. "Put aside the
fact that such a state law would trigger an even greater confrontation
with federal authorities," they argue. "Do we want to become another
Amsterdam?"

Currently, The Bee's positions on marijuana and gambling are somewhere
in the center. As we stated in a recent editorial, we think the
federal government should take marijuana off the "Schedule 1" category
of drugs, so that research can be expanded on its possible medical
benefits. We also think the state Legislature should strengthen
regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries, to align the system with
what voters intended.

On gambling, we recognize what the courts have ruled on Indian
casinos, but remain seriously concerned about the societal impacts,
such as gambling addiction. We don't support further expansion, such
as online poker. As we said in 2009, "The notion that the state can
solve its budget problems by luring more suckers into a giant virtual
casino is both false and deeply troubling."

Personally, I am comfortable with both of these positions. If
California is going to fix its budget problems and thrive, it can't
stake its future on gambling schemes that don't really create revenue,
but just divert it from participating pockets. Marijuana may not be as
harmful as its critics claim, but it certainly isn't the kind of
recreational commodity that helps us build a well-educated,
clear-headed workforce.

On the other hand, I agree there is no way to put these horses back in
the barn. Casinos have become a part of the California landscape and
there's no shortage of gamblers willing to roll the dice on them. And
I certainly recognize that the "drug war" against marijuana has done
little but push it underground, leading to the growth of Mexican
cartels and dangerous pot farms in the Sierra.

So on both of these vices, I am a bit torn.

I guess that makes me a Californian.