HARRIS: Marijuana is on four state ballots this November. And California voters will decide on Prop 19 which would allow small amounts of marijuana on a person to be legal and taxable. In South Dakota and Arizona, the issue is legalizing marijuana to treat various medical conditions. And in Oregon, where medical marijuana has been legal for some time now. The question before voters, should the sale of medical marijuana be available through dispensaries. Now, over the next couple of days, CNN NEWSROOM will take a close look at the marijuana argument as it stands today and ask what "yes" votes could mean for Americans in the future. Legalizing marijuana is a battle that rages on. The issue sparked a major debate on CNN's new primetime show "PARKER/SPITZER." Here's what host, Kathleen Parker says about it.</s>KATHLEEN PARKER, CO-HOST, "PARKER/SPITZER": I've been convinced by people in law enforcement and the judicial system that we can really allocate our resources in much more -- in much better ways than arresting people for simple possession of marijuana. In 2008, for example, in California, there were 60,000 arrests just for simple possession of marijuana. And it seems to me a very huge waste of man power, resources, et cetera, et cetera. There's so many arguments you can make in favor of legalizing it that I really can't come down on the other side.</s>HARRIS: Provocative issues and lively debate you don't want to miss. "PARKER/SPITZER" weeknights at 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN. A public health scientist behind a Tennessee bill to legalize medical marijuana pays a heavy personal price for the cause.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The one thing I'm thankful for in all of this nightmare is that I've been free to speak up both for the plant and for the people the plant helps.</s>HARRIS: And coming up in the noon hour, how this 61-year-old ended up in the middle of the debate over legalization.
Four States Debate Legalizing Medical Marijuana