California may have found its pot of gold

Psst. Hey buddy, wanna buy some weed?

The whispering around street corners may be over for anyone wanting to buy marijuana in California, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he's open to debate about legalizing and taxing marijuana for recreational use, according to a Sacramento Bee story.

It may be just the thing to help the more than 2 million Californians who are unemployed find work. But I'm skeptical because anytime the government gets involved in something and taxes it, prices are likely to drop, which is good for the consumer, but the drug pushers probably won't make as much money as they used to. Then again, they're less likely to get arrested and serve jail time for breaking the law, too.

Fewer small-time pushers in jail would solve another chronic problem in California: Overcrowded prisons.

Schwarzenegger said he didn't support legalization, but he said it should be looked at as the cash-strapped state looks for revenue.