Recession? What recession. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano from San Fransisco has come up with a double solution.

Legalise dope and then tax it. He announced at a press conference on Monday that he had “new legislation related to the state’s fiscal crisis“. The advantage is that you’re also too stoned to noticed them repossessing your house.

He “would remove all penalties in California law on cultivation, transportation, sale, purchase, possession, or use of marijuana, natural THC, or paraphernalia for persons over the age of 21.”

Ammiano’s bill would additionally stop state and local law officials from enforcing Federal marijuana laws. Entertainingly Ammiano’s bill calls for “establishing a fee on the sale of marijuana at a rate of $50 per ounce.”

Quintin Mecke, his press spokesweasel, said that would bring in roughly $1 billion for the state, according to estimates made by marijuana advocacy organizations.

TheEye has no idea what the going rate for dope is in California but doesn’t think that a $50 markup is a reasonable hike. You’d create an untaxed black market because the free market always finds its level.

The Governator’s views aren’t known yet but he’d be a bit of a hypocrite to veto any law.

YouTube here, here and here, for example.

Source: San Fransisco Weekly but no more real content than written here. Also their graphic.