Santana: Legalizing Pot Will Help Economy

Barack Obama has been too busy bailing out financially strapped corporations since he became U.S. president to concern himself much with pot smokers, but guitarist Carlos Santana insists legalizing the herb can help the country's economy.

"Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education," Santana said in an interview published on the Hollywood Life website on Friday. "You will see a transformation in America."

The 61-year-old musician, who'll begin a performance residency at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on May 27 that will run through next year, believes weed's legalization is overdue.

"I really believe that as soon as we legalize and decriminalize marijuana we can actually afford a really good governor who won't keep taking money away from education and from teachers and send him back to Hollywood where he can do 'D' movies and we can get an 'A' governor," the San Francisco resident said in reference to former celluloid hero and current California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Santana is working on two albums. How quickly he finishes them probably depends on how badly he gets the munchies.

April 20 is two weeks from today. We're just sayin'.