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Zogby
Poll:
Majority
of
Americans
Oppose
US
Marijuana
Policies
12/7/01
(courtesy NORML Foundation, http://www.norml.org)
Washington, DC: Americans oppose
federal efforts to close California medical marijuana providers, and reject
the notion that recreational users of the drug should face arrest or criminal
prosecution, according to a national poll of 1,024 likely voters by Zogby
International and commissioned by the NORML Foundation.
Two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents
oppose the use of federal law enforcement agencies to close dispensaries
that supply medical marijuana to patients in California and other states
that have legalized marijuana for medical use.
Of those, a full one-half (50 percent)
say they "strongly oppose," 17 percent say they "somewhat oppose" and six
percent are undecided. Only 27 percent of those polled say they support
the government's actions, and fewer than one in five (15 percent) voiced
strong support.
In addition, 61 percent of respondents
said that in light of the increased attention to the threat of terrorism
since September 11, they oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana
smokers.
Of those, 39 percent "strongly oppose"
arresting smokers, 22 percent "somewhat oppose" and six percent are undecided.
Only 33 percent of those polled say they
support arresting and jailing marijuana offenders, and fewer than one in
five (18 percent) voiced strong support.
The poll is the first to gauge the public's
support for marijuana decriminalization since the September 11 tragedy.
"From opinion-makers like The Washington
Post's David Broder and The New York Times' Anthony Lewis to the general
public, there is a consensus that America's 65-year war on marijuana smokers
needs to take a back seat to the current, substantive war on terrorism,"
NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said.
-- END --
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Issue #214, 12/7/01
Editorial: Sometimes People Learn, Sometimes They Don't | Walters Confirmed as Drug Czar, Coalition Challenged But Couldn't Block Crusty Nominee | Bolivia Coca Crisis Explodes, Government Forces Reportedly Assassinate Union Leader | Hemp Taste-Test Demonstrations Target DEA Offices Across the Country, Protests Held in 76 Cities | South Dakota Farmers Union Unanimously Endorses Industrial Hemp Initiative | Drug War Peace Remains Elusive, Say Panelists at San Francisco Forum | Who's the Medieval Barbarian? Taliban Marijuana Policy vs. US Marijuana Policy | Catholic Church Calls on World Governments to Reject Drug Legalization, But Says Repression Cannot Be Sole Response | Michigan Marijuana Petition Drive Falls Short Again as Organizers Vow Third Effort, Detroit Init Will Head to Polls | Zogby Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose US Marijuana Policies | Alerts: HEA Drug Provision, Sembler Nomination, DEA Hemp Ban, Ecstasy Bill, Mandatory Minimums, Medical Marijuana | The Reformer's Calendar
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