Poll shows strong support for legal marijuana: Is it inevitable?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Hick

Git "R" lit
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
12,839
Reaction score
12,639
A national Rasmussen Reports poll found that 56 percent of Americans back legal marijuana regulated like tobacco or alcohol. Trends show support on the upswing.


A new national poll shows a clear majority of Americans in favor of legalizing and regulating marijuana – "the strongest support ever recorded," according to one pro-marijuana activist.
The Rasmussen poll found that 56 percent of respondents favored legalizing and regulating marijuana similar to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are currently regulated. Thirty-six percent were opposed.
Critics have dismissed the survey, saying its questions were asked in a particularly leading fashion – a charge that Rasmussen contests. But experts who track the issue say the poll is consistent with the overall trend of steadily rising acceptance of marijuana use.
How much do you know about marijuana? A quiz.
Despite California’s failure to pass Proposition 19 in 2010 – which would have legalized recreational use – some state may legalize marijuana soon, perhaps as early as this November, says Robert MacCoun, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, who follows marijuana laws. That means it is time to consider shifting the debate from legalization to consideration of how it should be done, he adds.
“For example, if we tax and regulate, should we tax by weight or should we tax by THC content to discourage the most potent products?” he asks. “Can we set taxes high enough to offset the inevitable steep drop in prices or are we willing to allow consumption to increase?”
Anti-marijuana groups say those questions are premature. If Rasmussen had put facts in the question’s premises, the outcome would have been the opposite, they say.
“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?’ they would have gotten a far different answer,” says David Evans, special adviser to the Drug Free America Foundation. “These questions are so biased and leading, it’s embarrassing.”
He cites Question 10: “As long as they don’t do anything to harm others, should individuals have the right to put whatever drugs or medication they want into their own bodies?”
“This is a clearly very biased finding," he says. "They’ve asked leading questions to get the responses they wanted.”
Beth Chunn, spokesman for Rasmussen Reports, disagrees. She says the firm conducted the study the way it did to answer a specific question: "This survey tested whether legalization and regulation generated more support than legalizing and taxing. It did.”
Pro-marijuana groups are using the findings to argue that the Obama administration’s raids on state medical marijuana dispensaries are not in concert with the public’s wishes, and that politicians who don’t support further relaxation of penalties are behind the times.
“This is the strongest support ever recorded in favor of marijuana legalization in the US,” says Dale Gieringer, state coordinator of California NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). “It confirms a trend that originated in 2009, when for the first time polls began to show plurality support for legalization.”
He says the trend can be expected to continue, since younger voters are more favorable toward ending marijuana prohibition than older ones. “Politicians ought to take note of the changing political wind," he says. "Marijuana legalization appears destined to become the next big social freedom issue after gay rights.”
Other supporters of a more liberal US drug policy also seized on the poll. They say this shows the drug war has failed, and that it’s time not only to ease up on social attitudes while bringing in much needed revenue for strapped government.
"Polling now consistently shows that more voters support legalizing and regulating marijuana than support continuing a failed prohibition approach,” says Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "If the trends in public opinion continue in the direction they are going, the day is not far away when supporting a prohibition system that causes so much crime, violence, and corruption is going to be seen as a serious political liability for those seeking support from younger and independent voters."
The telephone survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted May 12.
 
He says the trend can be expected to continue, since younger voters are more favorable toward ending marijuana prohibition than older ones. “Politicians ought to take note of the changing political wind," he says. "Marijuana legalization appears destined to become the next big social freedom issue after gay rights.”

If we can get the people to vote.....
 
Freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mel Gibson moment sorry.

In time the chains will break and folk will demand freedom of choice from our governments and we will take charge of the rights of the individual again. The choice to choose what we want without ridacule. Times comin governments will take note the wind of change be folks are tired of bein bullied told they can or cant do things and it be time the higher ups know we are the people and once we unite it be hard to keep under thumb.

Just me ventin and wishin sorry pilgrems ;)

BWD
 
"...“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?’ ...."

LOL--I would call that quite a leading question, too. And I do not really believe that it is true. However, the question is inane--you could also ask, "If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had drank milk within 24 hours of their convictions, would you say milk should be legal?’
 
If a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, how did they get it and where did they smoke it. 24 hours before a conviction, the convicts were in jail because they do not allow most homicide suspects who are convicts, to go free on bond 24 hours before a conviction. JMHO
 
Dont fool yourself Menimeth ther is as good a mj inside the prisons and jails as there is out here. You just have to know who to get it from in there.
 
That is true, and I guess in New York it is easy to get MJ 24 hours before a conviction for murder, but here in texas if you are a convict 24 hours from a conviction, you are in solitary, and 15 cops are watching you at all times, there is no contact with other prisoners in any way, and the lights are never off. I am not saying you can not get MJ in prison in Texas, though I doubt you can get it in a Texas jail, but 24 hours before a conviction in Texas, Never gonna happen
 
IME out of the "15 cops watching at all times" 5 sell cigs,3 sell mj, 1 sells crack, 1 crank, 3 sell pills, 1 is the lookout for the 1 str8 cop. The guards are where most of the drugs come from.
 
ozzydiodude said:
IME out of the "15 cops watching at all times" 5 sell cigs,3 sell mj, 1 sells crack, 1 crank, 3 sell pills, 1 is the lookout for the 1 str8 cop. The guards are where most of the drugs come from.


Man, I don't know where you live, but it sounds like it is far more corrupt there, than here. I guess it is not so bad in Texas as I thought.
 
Got the gas and lumber industries filling people like lobbyist and politicians pockets to the brim. Not to mention any hand of persuasion the cartels have to offer.

Just to much of an uphill battle atm. And uphill meaning a mountain of cash to climb over just to be heard.

In another 10 years when all the 50-70yo Ward Cleaver style politicians are out of office and more new wave moves in. I can see serious headway being made. The only bad part is by that time this country will be looking more like Brazil Spain or Greece.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top