Capitol Alert: Pot debate fuels CalChannel page views

The latest on California politics and government

April 1, 2010

Legislative hearings on whether to legalize marijuana have heated up debates under the dome in this year. But the issue also fueled a traffic spike at CalChannel.com, the online hub for viewing committee hearings, floor sessions and other events around the Capitol.

Archived videos of hearings pertaining to AB 390, Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's bill to legalize and regulate marijuana, racked up a combined more than 6,600 page views during the first quarter, according data provided by CalChannel.

Those numbers greatly outpace the site's typical audience numbers. In March, for example, the top five most viewed hearings received between 240 and 848 hits apiece.

"We are glad to see people taking advantage of the resources that exist to watch these hearings," said California Channel President John Hancock. "We take pride in covering the politics and public affairs that shape California, and these two topics definitely have the potential to shape the state."

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