Legal Pot Backers Target 2010 Calif. Vote

Schwarzenegger is trying to Kill Prop 19 ... or he just likes to toke

(NEWSER) - Getting caught with up to an ounce of pot (enough for about 30 joints) in California will get you in about as much trouble as driving a little too fast. What's behind Schwarzenegger's decision to decriminalize recreational pot? The Week takes a look at 5 theories.

1. He's actually trying to kill Proposition 19: It could be tough to get people to support the full legalization of recreational marijuana when it's basically legal.

Having less than an ounce is just an infraction

(NEWSER) - California residents caught holding small amounts of marijuana are now barely criminals in the eyes of the law. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into effect a measure that downgrades possession of less than an ounce from a misdemeanor to a lowly infraction, on par with a speeding ticket, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The move comes a month ahead of a proposition to legalize recreational use altogether. More»

Prop 19 would make state a 'laughingstock,' Governator writes

(NEWSER) - Arnold Schwarzenegger, who just last year called for debate on legalizing pot, has come out against Proposition 19, a ballot initiative that would do just that. “Any patrol officer, judge or district attorney will tell you that Proposition 19 is a flawed initiative that would bring about a host of legal nightmares and risks to public safety,” the Governator writes in an op-ed piece for the LA Times . “It would also make California a laughingstock.” More»

Hopes high as 3 measures head for ballot next year

(NEWSER) - The push to legalize—and, especially appealing at the moment, tax—marijuana is picking up momentum in California, with legislators holding hearings today on what would be the first such law in the nation. Organizers are currently collecting signatures to put three separate pot legalization initiatives on the ballot next year, and at least one of them is expected to make it to a vote. Gov. Schwarzenegger has said he welcomes "robust debate" on the issue. More»

Full-scale regulation and taxation on the table in Calif.

(NEWSER) - The recession has given marijuana-legalization advocates an unexpected boost, Time reports, as cash-strapped states are tempted by possible revenues from pot taxes. With an existing medical-marijuana market and cuts to education and health services pending due to a huge budget deficit, California advocates are preparing both legislation and ballot initiatives to regulate and tax all marijuana sales for adults 21 and over. More»