In a few days, Californians will vote on whether or not to legalize marijuana. The topic was discussed on Friday night's "Real Time With Bill Maher" on HBO. Comedian Zach Galifianakis voiced his support of Proposition 19, by lighting and sparking a joint on live TV, which was met with loud applause from the audience.
After taking a hit, Galifianakis passed it on to Fox News correspondent Margaret Hoover (great-granddaughter of former President Herbert Hoover), who smelled it and confirmed it really was weed, before handing it back. The rest of the panel, comprised of MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell and National Review's Reihan Salam also declined to partake, along with host Bill Maher, a known advocate of marijuana. Zach said that his point was to prove that just because you smoke marijuana doesn't mean that you will act crazy, even if it's still considered "taboo" to do so. Still, some are speculating whether it was a real joint, or just a regular cigarette.
Before the incident, "The Hangover" star proved that Hoover wasn't the only member of the panel that came from a political family, when talk turned to his uncle Nick Galifianakis, a congressman from his home state of North Carolina, that ran and loss against staunch conservative Jesse Helms in a 1972 U.S. Senate race. He was beat in large part due to Helms' campaign slogan, "Jesse Helms: He's One of Us," which emphasized his opponent's Greek heritage.
On Tuesday, California voters will decide on Prop 19, which would let the local government regulate and tax the drug if it is passed. As Bill Maher pointed out on the show, the Democrats and Obama administration have voiced their opposition to the measure, with Attorney General Eric Holder, threatening that recreational marijuana users could still be arrested in the state under federal law, even if the ballot proposition is passed. It doesn't seem as if he has anything to worry about, as current polls show voters will vote against it, with current figures at 53% to 43%. As Salam mentioned during the segment, those against the legalization of pot include California county growers, who are concerned about their loss in profits.
