Arnold would welcome a debate on taxing marijuana sales

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would welcome a debate on taxing marijuana sales but said he remained opposed to legalizing the drug in the state.

Schwarzenegger was speaking just a few days after a recent Field Poll indicated a majority of Californians supported legalizing the drug, a move that would help raise valuable tax revenues for the cash-strapped state.

Asked if it was time to legalize marijuana, Schwarzenegger told reporters on the sidelines of a wildfire awareness briefing: "No. I think that it's not time for that, but I think it's time for a debate.

"I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I'm always for an open debate on it.

"I think that we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect it had on those countries, and are they happy with that decision?"

Under California law, marijuana can be prescribed for medicinal or therapeutic use, a policy which puts the state at odds with federal law that prohibits all use of the drug.

Former Hollywood star and bodybuilder Schwarzenegger said that any decision to legalize marijuana should not be taken solely to raise revenue.

"... just because of raising revenues, we have to be very careful not to make mistakes at the same time," he said.