Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Public support for marijuana legalization continues its upward trend and has "never been higher," according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The poll had support for marijuana legalization at 45%, up four points from the same poll a year earlier.
pew-poll-compilation.jpg
The upward trend line for legalization and the downward one opposing legalization are nearing the convergence point, and support for legalization will soon surpass opposition, if current trends continue.
Pro-legalization sentiment was strongest among 18-to-29-year-olds (54%), Democrats (53%), and people with some college education (50%). Among liberal Democrats, support rose to 66%.
Keeping marijuana illegal got the strongest support from Republicans (67%) and people over 65 (66%), and women (54%). Men were evenly divided on the issue.
The new Pew poll is in line with other polls in recent years showing a steady increase in support for marijuana legalization, but that we're not quite there yet nationally. Still, we are getting tantalizingly close. You can review our archive of Chronicle articles about polls here.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
it may be mathematically impossible to cross that line...
the respective curves seem to have a hard limit at >=50% support for the continuing drug war and <50% support for ending it...this is only based on my own empirical observations and is not the least bit scientific.. but it would still be an interesting exercise to prove whether such a limit exists.. although i wouldnt even begin to know how to go about it...
even if im wrong and the lines do eventually cross.. there are three(3) facts working in favour of prohibition ..a) the experience form prop19 has shown that news polls and polls that count are two different things.. b) any legislation aimed at ending marijuana prohibition would have to get 60 votes in the senate.. c) last and most..private prison companies own the political process under the terms of citizens united and marijuana prohibition is their bread and butter...
in light of all the above.. marijuana legalization is at best a pipe dream (no pun intended)...
In reply to it may be mathematically impossible to cross that line... by Annapurna1 (not verified)
The curves of such data can
The curves of such data can not have a hard limit anywhere, looking at the fact that increasing the support for legalization, will equally decrease the support for continued war on drugs. The lines don't have to do anything, what matters is the percentage of votes for or against. By that factor, the lines have no trouble crossing...
With all due respect, you stated some very wrong math, then explianed your fears, about the prohibition and why it "won't" end. If you research the matter further, you'll see that marijuana legalization is not at all a pipe dream, rather a very possible future scenario. Ofcourse, if you expect things to happen in the matter of days, your living on the wrong planet.
In reply to The curves of such data can by Weed=pi (not verified)
and which "very wrong math"
and which "very wrong math" did i state?...simply stating that there *appears* to be a limit isnt even math.. let along very wrong math...
and now for the not-very-wrong math ..the prison industry alone controls so much $$$ that trying to compete against them is about as feasible as putting a cadillac in your nose...thats all that matters..not the news polls...
it is also worth repeating that most voters think of a "war on marijuana" and not "marijuana prohibition"...
In reply to it may be mathematically impossible to cross that line... by Annapurna1 (not verified)
You might just be intellectualizing negativity
I don't understand what you mean by mathematically impossible. What I get from what you're saying is something like since it hasn't happened so far, then maybe it can't happen. I don't see any objective reason why more people can't just decide they want legalization. I know it can feel sometimes like it's not gonna happen, but there's no reason it can't.
For prop 19, the polls did indeed show that it was going to lose. They just didn't start showing that until the end, but the polls did correctly predict the outcome.
Other power structures (women not having the right to vote, slavery, separate but equal laws, communism, Mubarak, etc.) have appeared unsurmountable in the past, and yet they fell.
In reply to it may be mathematically impossible to cross that line... by Annapurna1 (not verified)
LOL... Comedy at its finest!
LOL... Comedy at its finest!
I am 100% absolutely sure
I am 100% absolutely sure that marijuana legalization is coming to California in 2012. As long as the prop is a lot more clearer because people were afraid of things that just were not true. Just to think with Prop 19 if the young voter would of gotten out and voted it would of been a dead lock even with all the false things that were said. So in 2012 with a presidential election were more young people vote and with a more clear proposition i bet we can get 55% in support or even if we win by like 50.01% that would still be great. But yeah this is going to happen massively within the next decade.
In reply to I am 100% absolutely sure by TJ (not verified)
They will have to reach out to more than just young people
Every legalization campaign reaches out to young people then ends up bitching about not enough young people turning out at the polls, as seen in Nevada, Alaska and recently California. What's the definition of insanity? If your campaign is dependent on young people, the it is toast!! They simply do not vote in great enough numbers compared to working people with families take care of and the messaging needs to adapt accordingly.
I have been creeping up
I have been creeping up support for 56 years in favor of legalization. Sure does take a long time to get this one thing done. I thought the Constitution was suppose to avoid stupid crap like prohibition.
mathematically impossible? Hard limit? Pipe dream?
Annapurna1: Please don't announce your opinion in language that sounds quasi-scientific when, as you yourself state, you have no actual scientific basis for it. All you've really told us is that you don't think legalization will happen in the near future. You're entitled to your opinion, but please do us a favor and just say that. No need to tell us it's impossible.
It's a well known fact that public opinion can and does change, and can be manipulated. There's every reason to believe cannabis (a better name for marijuana) will be made legal within the next decade or so. Will that happen in 2012...who knows? Too much depends on the details of the upcoming fight. The numbers, combined with past experience, make legalization in 2012 seem like a very achievable goal.
In addition, even though Prop 19 didn't pass, think about the change from just a few years ago--people now talk about their opinions much more openly. One can now state a pro-legalization position without being automatically labeled "pothead" or "druggie." A fair number of non-users now openly endorse legalization. That's huge!
LEGALIZE!
I was born in March 1937, same yr Prohibition of Marijuana was signed into law August 2nd. By todays standards 74 yrs is not a long time to live. 74 yrs is a long time to live w/o a legal hit. I am a 3rd stage breast cancer survivor Marijuana activist. I think we need to step up our efforts to Legalize cannabis for any use.We cannot afford this stupid war on drugs that has never been a deterrent & continues to make criminals of both sides of the law.I meet people everyday who are afraid to stand up for what they are doing, thinking nothing will ever happen to them.We can no longer think someone else will straighten this out. We are someone else. WE HAVE TO DO IT!. We must seriously support the organizations that are fighting for us this very moment. We need to vote to put candidates who support legalization in office. We must stop worrying about what the neighbors will say or our families or your boss, etc. They may be all toking in a closet somewhere. We must be bold, deliberate, civil & peaceful in anything we do to finally see Cannabis legal in our country & everywhere else.
A couple reasons come to mind
A couple reasons come to mind for this. First, younger people want legalization. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the prohibitionists are dying off. These are the so-called "greatest generation", which are supremely anti-marijuana. Their president was Ronald Reagan, and perhaps Richard Nixon, also supremely anti-marijuana. Sorry to say but that's my grandparents' generation. As that generation dies off, a more positive result is achieved.
In reply to A couple reasons come to mind by oiamed (not verified)
I was born in 1948
I lived through the time you are talking about and we thought the same thing.Once those old farts are gone we'll legalize it.Guess what?My generation turned out to be the most hypocritical bunch of no minds on the planet.The last three presidents were dopers.The last two major coke heads.We used to have a saying back in the day:there ain't nothing worse than a reformed dope fiend hooker.It simply means that once a major doper finds god,watch out.They'll sell their sister to the man just to "save their souls".We evidently had a legalization bill that died on the floor of our parliament because Stephen Harper managed to block it.Once that asshole was elected we lost 40 years of progress.I live in Vancouver and it's pretty cool all things considered.Harper visited for two days and we had the first bust of a compassion centre,over on the island.I doubt it was a coincidence.The man is evil where dope is concerned,evil.Polls in Canada are consistently over the 50% mark,but only by a few points.Tommy Chong's back in town and doing his thing for the cause.It's just really hard to get anything done because of our political system.If the feds could be left out of the picture I think our provincial agency has the will and the numbers to end most prohibitions.That's where we were up to the election of S.Harper.
In reply to A couple reasons come to mind by oiamed (not verified)
I was born in 1948
I lived through the time you are talking about and we thought the same thing.Once those old farts are gone we'll legalize it.Guess what?My generation turned out to be the most hypocritical bunch of no minds on the planet.The last three presidents were dopers.The last two major coke heads.We used to have a saying back in the day:there ain't nothing worse than a reformed dope fiend hooker.It simply means that once a major doper finds god,watch out.They'll sell their sister to the man just to "save their souls".We evidently had a legalization bill that died on the floor of our parliament because Stephen Harper managed to block it.Once that asshole was elected we lost 40 years of progress.I live in Vancouver and it's pretty cool all things considered.Harper visited for two days and we had the first bust of a compassion centre,over on the island.I doubt it was a coincidence.The man is evil where dope is concerned,evil.Polls in Canada are consistently over the 50% mark,but only by a few points.Tommy Chong's back in town and doing his thing for the cause.It's just really hard to get anything done because of our political system.If the feds could be left out of the picture I think our provincial agency has the will and the numbers to end most prohibitions.That's where we were up to the election of S.Harper.
In reply to A couple reasons come to mind by oiamed (not verified)
I was born in 1948
I lived through the time you are talking about and we thought the same thing.Once those old farts are gone we'll legalize it.Guess what?My generation turned out to be the most hypocritical bunch of no minds on the planet.The last three presidents were dopers.The last two major coke heads.We used to have a saying back in the day:there ain't nothing worse than a reformed dope fiend hooker.It simply means that once a major doper finds god,watch out.They'll sell their sister to the man just to "save their souls".We evidently had a legalization bill that died on the floor of our parliament because Stephen Harper managed to block it.Once that asshole was elected we lost 40 years of progress.I live in Vancouver and it's pretty cool all things considered.Harper visited for two days and we had the first bust of a compassion centre,over on the island.I doubt it was a coincidence.The man is evil where dope is concerned,evil.Polls in Canada are consistently over the 50% mark,but only by a few points.Tommy Chong's back in town and doing his thing for the cause.It's just really hard to get anything done because of our political system.If the feds could be left out of the picture I think our provincial agency has the will and the numbers to end most prohibitions.That's where we were up to the election of S.Harper.
In reply to A couple reasons come to mind by oiamed (not verified)
I was born in 1948
I lived through the time you are talking about and we thought the same thing.Once those old farts are gone we'll legalize it.Guess what?My generation turned out to be the most hypocritical bunch of no minds on the planet.The last three presidents were dopers.The last two major coke heads.We used to have a saying back in the day:there ain't nothing worse than a reformed dope fiend hooker.It simply means that once a major doper finds god,watch out.They'll sell their sister to the man just to "save their souls".We evidently had a legalization bill that died on the floor of our parliament because Stephen Harper managed to block it.Once that asshole was elected we lost 40 years of progress.I live in Vancouver and it's pretty cool all things considered.Harper visited for two days and we had the first bust of a compassion centre,over on the island.I doubt it was a coincidence.The man is evil where dope is concerned,evil.Polls in Canada are consistently over the 50% mark,but only by a few points.Tommy Chong's back in town and doing his thing for the cause.It's just really hard to get anything done because of our political system.If the feds could be left out of the picture I think our provincial agency has the will and the numbers to end most prohibitions.That's where we were up to the election of S.Harper.
In reply to A couple reasons come to mind by oiamed (not verified)
I was born in 1948
I lived through the time you are talking about and we thought the same thing.Once those old farts are gone we'll legalize it.Guess what?My generation turned out to be the most hypocritical bunch of no minds on the planet.The last three presidents were dopers.The last two major coke heads.We used to have a saying back in the day:there ain't nothing worse than a reformed dope fiend hooker.It simply means that once a major doper finds god,watch out.They'll sell their sister to the man just to "save their souls".We evidently had a legalization bill that died on the floor of our parliament because Stephen Harper managed to block it.Once that asshole was elected we lost 40 years of progress.I live in Vancouver and it's pretty cool all things considered.Harper visited for two days and we had the first bust of a compassion centre,over on the island.I doubt it was a coincidence.The man is evil where dope is concerned,evil.Polls in Canada are consistently over the 50% mark,but only by a few points.Tommy Chong's back in town and doing his thing for the cause.It's just really hard to get anything done because of our political system.If the feds could be left out of the picture I think our provincial agency has the will and the numbers to end most prohibitions.That's where we were up to the election of S.Harper.
Congresswoman's surprise answer on pot legalization
This morning on C-SPAN, New York Congresswoman, Nita Lowey fielded questions from the audience. I got through the show to suggest to her several reasons why she should vote to cut the DEA budget. First, I mentioned the fact that the DEA has offices in 63 countries and that's too much government even for the world's policeman. Then I mentioned that the polling on legalization for marijuana has been trending favorably and that 15 states have passed laws for medical marijuana. I told her that Congress is lacking behind on this issue and that the drug war could no longer be considered as gospel among our elected leaders. That the policy is too costly and ineffective.
She replied that it was necessary to assist Mexico with their drug war and the programs to reduce the demand. When I asked the Congresswoman if these taxpayer funded programs had worked, she said, "That's why we need to have a debate on legalization." That's the first time I heard someone in Congress other than Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul use the "L" word in that context.
Other polls already show a majority
Why won't they admit that both Harris and Zogby pools already began showing a majority supporting full legalization (e.g., not just medical) back in the Spring of 2009. And the support is projected to grow by 1 o 2 percent each successive year. I think the reason they keep doing this is because they don't really support full legalization.
Because Marijuana is Safer that Beer . . .
How About We Start Treating It That Way?
MERP Headquarters
The Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project (MRPP)= "MERP"
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP.htm
Good moment to listen to John
Good moment to listen to John Beecher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkP9lUMXFtU
This year is the 40th year anniversary of the war, time to end it!
My name is Ronald Davis and
My name is Ronald Davis and on March 29th, 2011 I will appear in the Garland County Circuit Court to plea on the charge of POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DELIVER.
Judge Marcia Hearnsberger will be the Judge in this case and her phone number is (501) 622-3760 , her mailing address is: 501 Ouachita, Hot Springs, AR 71901
and her email address is: [email protected] I believe that Cannabis is a gift from God and that no human has a right to restrict me from using or possessing it.
If you feel the same as I then please let my accusers hear it. Thanks Ron Davis
I'm a liberal Democrat, and I
I'm a liberal Democrat, and I don't support legalization. I live in California, and in the recent election I voted "no" against making it legal. What we need to is expand the drug war to encompass the suburbs, that's where the marijuana use is taking place.
In reply to I'm a liberal Democrat, and I by Franklin82 (not verified)
"What we need is expand the
"What we need is expand the drug war" Sounds good to me let's start with you... Let's throw you in jail for 5 or 10 years for having your beer or your filthy cigarettes... That is the dumbest comment I have ever read... You need more education obviously... The Drug War is NOT WORKING!!! Can't you tell??? I find it very odd that the only two entities that want the drug war to continue are the Criminals and the Governments... I toke and I vote!
>Free Marc Emery<
"Freedom for all Cannabis / Hemp / Seed Prisoners around the world"
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