Schwarzenegger: “No One Cares if You Smoke a Joint”

by Michael van der Galien
Posted on November 9 2010 1:30 pm

Michael van der Galien was born in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden in 1984. For as long as he can remember, he has been obsessed with the United States. When he was 17 years old, he started blogging - of course about America. His articles have been published at Big Hollywood, Pajamas Media, Hot Air (the GreenRoom) and Right Across The Atlantic. He's also an editor for the Dutch conservative blog, De Dagelijkse Standaard.

Print This Post

In what’s a clear sign that smoking marijuana is becoming increasingly acceptable in the more socially liberal parts of the United States, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Jay Leno’s show last Monday that “no one cares whether you smoke a joint or not.” The rather blunt statement came after Leno asked the outgoing governor about a bill he signed five months ago, that made possession of up to an ounce of marijuana the equivalent of a traffic ticket, rather than a serious misdemeanor. This means that it carries a penalty of no more than a $100 fine and no arrest or criminal record.

Watch it:

Link:

Although Proposition 19 was rejected by California voters, Governor Schwarzenegger is probably right when he says that Californians really aren’t opposed to legalizing marijuana; it’s more likely that the bill was, indeed, simply badly written. His decision to make possession of weed a minor offense, comparable to a speeding ticket is, as far as I am concerned, a major step in the right direction.

The War on Drugs has been taken too far and has carried on for too long a time. It’s time to end it; legalizing weed is a good start.