Amid reports that New York is close to becoming the next state to legalize medical marijuana, joining such smoke-'em-if-you-got-doctors'-notes locales as California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and — likely — Colorado, we wonder how New York City would compare to Los Angeles if we battled for pot capital of the nation.

L.A. still has 545 working marijuana stores, pot-smoking happy hours and plenty of high-grade weed hitting town from north (Humboldt County) and south (Mexico). While San Francisco might be the cannabis nation's spiritual leader, it just doesn't have the weight L.A. does. Sizing up New York, let's compare some other stats:

-New York has the Empire State Building. Now that's high. L.A. (adjacent) has Disneyland, however, and we hear nothing is more fun while medicating that pain away.

-New York has urban, stinky subways with people who stare at you. Trippy. L.A. has has the … Purple Line! Woot-woot.

-New York has the Village, which used to have a lot of shops. Venice Beach is a gigantic head shop.

-New York has an isle of tranquil greenery that is Central Park. L.A. has the gay-cruising Garden of Eden that is Griffith Park.

-New York has the pizza slice. L.A. has … nachos.

-New York has Simon and Garfunkel. L.A. has both Cheech and Chong.

-New York had the Stonewall Riots. L.A. has stoners who will riot if L.A. shuts down more than 400 pot shops as promised.

Until the empire state gets its medical marijuana on and develops the kind of pot entrepreneurship seen here in Angel City, we'll have to give the title to L.A.

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