The following is an editorial opinion from an overseas newspaper, which may be of interest to Royal Gazette readers.

Los Angeles Times, on a measure to legalise marijuana:

Marijuana advocates are cheering the Assembly's Public Safety Committee for voting out a measure Tuesday designed to legalise, tax and regulate the sale of the drug to adults 21 and over. The bill is being marketed as a revenue raiser; the Board of Equalisation estimates that the state could reap up to $1.3 billion in sorely needed tax revenue, and proponents have skillfully wielded the budget crisis to boost support for the measure.

Polls show that 56 percent of Californians back legalising marijuana. Across the country, the numbers are somewhat lower, but nevertheless momentum is building for a reconsideration of marijuana laws covering both medicinal and recreational use. Many states now treat marijuana offenses as mere infractions, not subject to jail time. The American Medical Assn. recently reversed its long-held position and urged more research into the drug's properties. ...

AB 390, sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), would not be an appropriate first step for California. It's true that a $50-per-ounce fee is included in the bill that would go to anti-drug programmes. But that's not enough. The state needs a thorough airing of the pros and cons of legalisation and the pitfalls related to abuse of the drug before taking such dramatic action. We welcome a debate over legalising marijuana, but we do not support this bill.