California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been a hardliner when it comes to marijuana. “It’s not a drug, it’s a leaf,” he said in an interview two years ago. Now—mindful of the $US1.3-billion tax windfall it could bring his cash-strapped state—he’s willing to discuss the prospect of legalizing and regulating pot to raise money and save cash on law enforcement. It’s not a full-on endorsement: Schwarzenegger says Californians might just as well decide possession and use of dope should remain criminal. Still, when the governor of America’s most populous state is willing to debate the issue, you know the winds of change are blowing.
The Sacramento Bee