Should Atlantic City Legalize Marijuana?

A month ago, Atlantic City proposed a new law allowing people to drink alcohol while on the boardwalk (and not all of us agreed with the idea).

Now, NJ Assemblyman Reed Gusciora has introduced the "Promoting Opportunites for Tomorrow" (or P.O.T.) bill to let voters decide whether to make recreational use of marijuana legal in Atlantic City.

Governor Chris Christie has made his opposition to legal marijuana very well-known; this bill would put the debate on the state general election ballot, allowing the public to vote on the commercial growth, sale, possession, consumption, and taxation of marijuana within the boundaries of Atlantic City by those 21 and older.

The marijuana would be taxed at 20 percent of its market price. 50% of the proceeds would go toward Atlantic City, with the remainder to state funds and programs.

City Council President Marty Small says promoting drug use is not the way to balance the city's books, but Gusciora's bill says the legislation would "provide extreme economic benefits to a new generation of Atlantic City residents and business interests, including existing hotels and casino."

Okay, so I understand this likely makes me sound hypocritical (or like a huge pothead) but I'm down with this. I don't think people should be able to wander around the boardwalk with an open drink, but I have no issue with someone smoking a j. Just speaking from personal experience, stoners are WAY cooler than drunks. I've never gotten hassled by a stoner, I've never seen a stoner pick a fight with a stranger.

I understand the argument that bringing MORE drugs into Atlantic City might not be the best way to revive the city, but that's the entire point of nation-wide regulation: to keep the drug off the streets.