Governor Moonbeam No More: Jerry Brown Wags His Finger at Legal Pot

When California Governor Jerry Brown was in power the first time around—in the 1970s—he was known for embracing ideas out of the mainstream.  He was somewhat of a hippie governor. He hung out with Jackson Browne and The Eagles. Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead called Brown his hero. Brown even dated Linda Ronstadt.

Times have changed. It's goodbye Moonbeam, hello Aspercreme.

Today, Brown is wagging his finger at those who smoke pot and the marijuana legalization movement.  In an interview with the Associated Press, Brown played on the most stereotypical caricatures of tokers.  He said the U.S. could lost its competitive edge over other countries if too many people are stoned.

"The problem with anything, a certain amount is okay," Brown said on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday. "But there is a tendency to go to extremes. And all of a sudden, if there's advertising and legitimacy, how many people can get stoned and still have a great state or a great nation? The world's pretty dangerous, very competitive. I think we need to stay alert, if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the potheads might be able to put together."

Only medical marijuana in California is legal.  A measure to legalize pot could be on the ballot in 2016, after the Drug Policy Alliance announced they would not be pushing for a vote on the issue this year.