Moving Toward Legal Marijuana?

Some Californians see pot as a cash crop and the key to the state’s considerable financial woes. But will legalization lead to a costly new addiction problem?

As drug abuse continues to be a problem that affects all ages and socio-economic groups, one drug is garnering growing support for legalization and making it more readily accessible.

Three states -- Minnesota, New Hampshire and Rhode Island -- have made strides in recent weeks toward legalizing medical marijuana, according to CBSNews.com. Meanwhile, cash-strapped California is taking it a step further, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger making the controversial statement that it's time to look at legalizing marijuana for recreational use. (Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996.)

"I think it's time for debate," the actor-turned-governor said in response to one reporter's question, acknowledging that the issue has been raised as a revenue source.

Quick to capitalize on that media exposure, the Marijuana Policy Project recently funded a 30-second TV spot that aired on several cable news channels and network affiliates in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area (three California stations refused to run the ad).

Proponents of legal pot are quick to point out that legalization could be an outside-the-box solution to the state’s financial woes, with some groups suggesting it could raise more than $1.2 billion a year in new tax revenues. Other politicians are taking a more active role. In February, California State legislator Tom Ammiano (D) went so far as to introduce a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. Bill AB 390 would license "commercial cultivators of marijuana" and establish a complicated web of regulations and tax rules they and retailers must follow.

It’s a popular stance, according to one recent poll that showed 56 percent of California’s registered voters support legalizing marijuana and taxing its proceeds. There are no statistics, though, on whether addiction rates would skyrocket and the future cost of treating those addictions brought on by more readily available – and legal – marijuana.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to marijuana or other legal or illegal drugs, contact La Paloma Treatment Center 24 hours a day on our toll-free helpline.