Pot proposal’s impact depends on federal law

When California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, the federal government responded by closing down pot clubs, prosecuting suppliers, threatening doctors who recommended the drug, and successfully battling co-ops and patients in cases that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. So Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, author of a bill that would make California the first state to legalize personal use of marijuana, is going out of his way to avoid a fight with the feds. Ammiano’s longshot measure gained some traction last week when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it was “time for debate” on whether the state should allow sales of marijuana and use the tax revenue to help close California’s gaping budget deficit… San Francisco Chronicle