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Marijuana: Pot Continues to Climb in Public Opinion Polls -- Zogby Goes Over 50%

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #584)
Drug War Issues

Support for marijuana legalization or decriminalization among the American public continues to climb and may now be a majority position, if a pair of recently released polls are any indication. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released April 30 found that 46% of those surveyed supported "legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use," or decriminalization, while a Zogby poll released Wednesday found that 52% supported the legalization, taxation, and regulation of pot.

The 46% figure in the ABC News/Washington Post poll is the highest since the poll first asked the question in the 1980s, and more than double what the figure was just a dozen years ago. Support for decriminalization hovered at around one-quarter of the population throughout the 1980s, and was at 22% as recently as 1997. By 2002, support had jumped to 39%, and now it has jumped again.

When it comes to political affiliation, support for decrim is at 53% for independents, 49% for Democrats, and 28% for Republicans. Since the late 1980s, Democratic support has jumped by 29 points and independent support by 27. Even among Republicans, support for decrim has increased by 10 points.

Support was highest among people reporting no religious affiliation, with 70%, and lowest among evangelical white Protestants, at 24%. People under age 30 supported decrim at a rate of 57%, nearly twice that of seniors, at 30%. People in between the young and the old split down the middle.

The numbers were even better in the Zogby poll. Confronted with a straightforward question about marijuana legalization, 52% of respondents said yes, 37% said no, and 11% were not sure.

The pollsters asked: "Scarce law enforcement and prison resources, a desire to neutralize drug cartels and the need for new sources of revenue have resurrected the topic of legalizing marijuana. Proponents say it makes sense to tax and regulate the drug while opponents say that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs. Would you favor or oppose the government's effort to legalize marijuana?"

The poll was commissioned for the conservative-leaning O'Leary Report and published Wednesday as a full page ad in the Washington, DC, political newsletter The Hill. In that poll, the sample of respondents was weighted to reflect the outcome of the 2008 presidential race, with 54% Obama supporters and 46% McCain supporters.

"This new survey continues the recent trend of strong and growing support for taxing and regulating marijuana and ending the disastrously failed policy of prohibition," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project."Voters are coming to realize that marijuana prohibition gives us the worst of all possible worlds -- a drug that's widely available but totally unregulated, whose producers and sellers pay no taxes but whose profits often support murderous drug cartels," Kampia said. "The public is way ahead of the politicians on this."

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

Anonymous (not verified)

Anyone who has ever been charged in the court of law for Marijuana should be able to sue the government. The fact is the government has with held important information regarding Marijuana that would couse it to be leagel the government is wrong in lying to the american people and with holding the information as so the government should pay for its crimes against the people

Mon, 05/11/2009 - 11:49am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

HELL no we dont need to decriminalize that crap it will be easyer for kids to get it and then they'll do even harder drugs i dont support this i support the arrest of drug users cause they are all losers who dont know anything of moral value .drugs do not need to be legalized! and my opinion is the only one on here that matters im gonna write a letter to Obama to arrest anyone who feels that legalization is a good idea that way we can get out the free thinkers who appose our government.arrested for treson i say.anyways u wanna make urself feel high and great drink a beer its safer and legal.legalization doesnt work look at history

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:07pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I find it very interesting that, in general, pro-legalization responses are well-reasoned and clearly written while anti-legalization responses are unreasoned, ungrammatical, and replete with poor spelling and ideas that are clearly illegal and unconstitutional.

im gonna write a letter to Obama to arrest anyone who feels that legalization is a good idea that way we can get out the free thinkers who appose our government.arrested for treson

I wonder what part of communist China the writer comes from? In the United States we have the First Amendment which precludes prosecuting people for expressing ideas that are contrary to current government policy.

It appears that supporters of marijuana legalization are better educated, better informed, and more intelligent than the opposition.

drink a beer its safer and legal.legalization doesnt work look at history

That beer you're drinking? It's only legal because alcohol was legalized when the 21st Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933. Look at history.

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 9:01pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

What kinda communist crap is being spouted here. This at last view , is a free country. You can not arrest people because of what they support or don't. You have a right to your opinion as well as all folks that support legalization, without fear of persecution nor arrest. free thinkers you say. does that mean that anyone that does not agree with you is not a free thinker. How can you mention "free" when you are making out like a communist whom we all know were free to do anything much less think. Beer is ok if that is your bag, but please do not start saying that because it is legal that marijuana isn't s good or better way to enjoy your spare time.
Personally I'd much rather meet a pot smoker on the road ( not recommended to drive during use) that a drunk. If you are going to drink or smoke it is my opinion to do so in the safety of your home that putting others at danger by driving.
also prohibition dos not work as we all saw back in the 20's and 30's. It was repealed and that was for beer and alcohol in general.
I should have the right to choose my vice as I see fit without morons trying to tell me I can't do it because tey do not approve.

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 10:20pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Your biased opinion is old-hat. You sound as if you are from the Hoover era. Do you wear a dress?

Sun, 05/10/2009 - 6:47pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

This person is just not very smart and don't know no facts and does not care about no one but there self.Its this kind of person that should be put in jail,If you can't let live than I hope you don't live you freek

Mon, 05/11/2009 - 11:55am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Allright, looking at history... OK It seeems as if prohibition started at the turn of the century. It was the KKKs way of enforcing white supremacy. Back then weed was not that wide-spread, and only dominated the fringe cults of society, and was a widely acceped herb. By herb I mean for medicinal use, and was hailed as good, and good for you. Just like today. Since then almost a decade later 13 states have legalized cannabis for medical use. As far as your "WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN" hypothasis, When, not if When it is legalized we will put taxes on it and regulate it for sale to adults only. That means its accualy harder to get because ID's hard to come by, and dealers now dont care about your age, Message: IAts accualy easier to get because of prohibiton!

Wed, 05/13/2009 - 1:24pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Beyond the Global Marijuana March:
Re-Legalization Under the MERP Model
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP/RelegalizeNowObama06.htm

I am the originator of International Drug Policy Day which was the first International event in history to call for the immediate Re-Legalization of Marijuana. It was celebrated globally for six years between 1990 and 1995. The Global Marijuana March began four years later in 1999 and celebrates a 10th Anniversary on May 2nd and May 9th 2009. Since 1999 the Global Marijuana March protests have been celebrated in 556 different cities from 54 different nations; yet such protests have been largely ignored by the Corporate Controlled Media as well as the moneyed drug reform organizations.

============================================

I see the 2009 Global Marijuana March as the launching point for a unrelenting international campaign to Re-Legalize the Untaxed and Unregulated Cultivation of Marijuana under what is know as the MERP Model. The MERP Model is a much better solution than Marijuana Prohibition, the Medical Marijuana Model, or the worst model of them all: a model under which Marijuana is highly taxed and regulated.

The MERP Model is the only model that will immediately destroy the drug cartels and put a stop to the arrest of over 800,000 US Citizens every year. None of the other models can pretend to achieve these two important goals. And despite the naysayers at the Marijuana Policy Project, the Drug Policy Alliance and other “moneyed” drug reform organizations, there is no reason why this cannot occur as early as 2009.

I want to thank all of the activists that have been promoting the MERP Model through their websites and encourage consumers and non-consumers alike, to:

(1) Attend one of the Global Marijuana March Protests

(2) Distribute our mini-flyers at and beyond the Global Marijuana March Protests in May of 2009.

(3) Contribute your time and money to implement the MERP Model immediately. You can send your checks and money orders to New Age Citizen in order to help us in our campaign.

To get involved in the great push to get the MERP Model implemented I invite you to visit “MERP Headquarters” which can be easily accessed from the homepage of NewAgeCitizen.com.

In 1970 activist John Sinclair was sentenced to 10 years in jail for just 2 Marijuana cigarettes. Thankfully John Lennon, from the Beatles, threw a benefit for John Sinclair which contributed to his eventual release as a political prisoner in the War on Marijuana consumers..

I would now like to read the email that John Sinclair sent me on March 19th, 2009, endorsing the MERP Model:

Bruce,

I see that you're starting to get some play here & there on the MERP Model, keep up the good work and don't let anyone discourage you. It's time to end this War on Drugs at last. Not that I support it, but the events in Mexico show what happens when you have a War on Drugs and the other side SHOWS UP TO FIGHT. They've just been pushing people around in the States under this rubric for 40 years and it's time to stop!

That ends John Sinclair’s letter to me.

I believe that together we can end 71 years of Marijuana prohibition and actually achieve some of the “change” that Obama lied to us about during the 2008 Presidential campaign. And I believe there is no reason why it cannot happen immediately. I challenge Obama and all detractors to explain why this cannot happen right now. What possible legitimate reason could there be?

Possibly the strongest argument in favor of implementing the MERP Model immediately is that it would rob the Mexican Drug Cartels of 70% of their profits which originate from the sale of Marijuana in the United States. MERP would deprive them of these profits, destroying the Cartels and keeping over 27 Billion Dollars in the US economy each and every year after MERP is implemented.

What possible argument could Barrack Obama, or Congress, have against moving forward with the MERP Model immediately given the irrefutable benefits that true Marijuana Re-Legalization would reap under the MERP Model?

Please join me in a peaceful crusade to derail the “New World Order” of Barrack Insane Obama by Re-Legalizing Marijuana under the MERP Model as early as 2009. For more information please go to the newagecitizen.com and click on the “MERP Headquarters”

Yours in Peace and Freedom,

This is Bruce Cain, Originator of International Drug Policy Day, Author of the MERP Model and the New Agenda for America of which it is a part: and finally the Editor for the New Age Citizen website.

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 6:47pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The two posts, obviously from the same irate individual, point out the irrational ignorance this legalization effort is up against. Since he can't spell and has no knowledge of syntax, using profanity must make him feel bold. I do hope he gets evaluated by mental health professionals for the bipolar treatment medication he so desperately needs. There is NO data showing kids, who do not have chemical imbalances and learning disabilities, are likely to try "harder" drugs after marijuana experimentation. Most outgrow interest in the drug if it appears to interfere with their motivation for other life goals. Those who do develop problems, are usually dual-diagnosed with other mental health complications and marijuana is the easier drug of abuse for which to provide successful treatment help. Much easier than treatment for "legal" alcohol dependency.
The vulgar, uneducated writer of previous posts is right to try to keep his own children away from all recreational drug use. Since chemical imbalances and mental disorders are often hereditary, his kids are at greater risk. I've worked with mental health and substance abuse treatment for 36 years and marijuana abuse is by far the easiest drug to successfully treat for--similar to caffeine abuse. I only wish nicotine dependence was as easy to treat. But I would bet money the trash mouthed writer is a tobacco addict.

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 9:31pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

You are insulting the intellegence of those of us with more than a third grade education. I don't know if usage on the base is down or what else might have inspired you to make these feeble half witted pdeudo-rants but please stop. I would rather see no posts at all than to subject myself to further insult. Most likely instead of "inspiring" retailatory posts people are just logging out of what is obviously a moronic attempt to portray the "enemy" as feeble minded and bigoted. The problem is that they are not. And your inflamitory actions are poorly considered and contributing to the problem.

Sat, 05/09/2009 - 2:00am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Fear of marijuana leading to other drugs isn't the only argument against it. Fear of marijuana itself is still pretty big. But we're ready for that debate Schwarzenegger said he wants to see and the alcohol supremacists aren't. When's the last time marijuana lead to someone getting killed or maimed ? How many people has alcohol killed or maimed since then? But you want to force people to use alcohol to get high? What's the point? And how often does the war on marijuana kill and maim compared to the drug itself? Reasonable questions any prohibitionist should be ready to honestly answer if they want to participate in an honest debate.
-newageblues

Sat, 05/09/2009 - 7:02pm Permalink
aahpat (not verified)

The Zogby poll is especially relevant because it was weighted to show the attitudes of voters who are also Obama/Democrat supporters. This gives us a clear representation of the dichotomy between Obama voters and Obama on the legalization issue.

Obama voters were manipulated and lied to by Obama and his right-wing campaign thugs. As the drug war comes to look more and more like Vietnam the chasm between what Obama is and what his supporters expected him to be will become greater and greater. Barack 'about face' Obama will not get the same support for a second term if he keeps running to the right as he has ever since inauguration.

Sun, 05/10/2009 - 2:18pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

In reply to by aahpat (not verified)

The current drug war is nothing like the Vietnam war. Your analogy is erroneous.You obviously do not know your history regarding the reasons for the war in Vietnam.Your regurgitations regarding Vietnam only sound good to yourself and have no basis other than your single opinion.The fact is this. With the Obama administration we as a people are being heard and legislation is turning toward legalization. It was not the Obama administration that cultivated the draconian laws that in turn created the same old dogma that became the war on drugs.Besides, George Bush his self admitted to smoking marijauna. It was when George quit smoking that he turned to alcohol and cocaine. He should have kept smoking to handle his anxiety.But no. Instead a new world order was created. Now you want to blame the Obama administration for all the Constitutional violations, and bankers opulance that was created by the previous government administration. To compare this war on drugs with Vietnam, is a standard rhetoric regurgitated. A cliche diversion at best. Legalize Marijauna and create revenue for the nation.

Sun, 05/10/2009 - 9:55pm Permalink
aahpat (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

why you sign yourself "Anonymous".

You are a party hack apologist for a lying bunch of drug warriors who are working overtime to escalate and militarize the drug war.

Obama's budget and supplemental requests for the border make your assertions a complete and total LIE!

As someone who lived through those days and almost ended up in Vietnam I think I know a little about that moment in history

Thu, 05/14/2009 - 11:55am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Support for marijuana legalization or decriminalization among the American public continues to climb and may now be a majority position, if a pair of recently released polls are any indication. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released April 30 found that 46% of those surveyed supported "legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use," or decriminalization, while a Zogby poll released Wednesday found that 52% supported the legalization, taxation, and regulation of pot. The 46% figure in the ABC News/Washington Post poll is the highest since the poll first asked the question in the 1980s, and more than double what the figure was just a dozen years ago. Support for decriminalization hovered at around one-quarter of the population throughout the 1980s, and was at 22% as recently as 1997. By 2002, support had jumped to 39%, and now it has jumped again. When it comes to political affiliation, support for decrim is at 53% for independents, 49% for Democrats, and 28% for Republicans. Since the late 1980s, Democratic support has jumped by 29 points and independent support by 27. Even among Republicans, support for decrim has increased by 10 points. Support was highest among people reporting no religious affiliation, with 70%, and lowest among evangelical white Protestants, at 24%. People under age 30 supported decrim at a rate of 57%, nearly twice that of seniors, at 30%. People in between the young and the old split down the middle. The numbers were even better in the Zogby poll. Confronted with a straightforward question about marijuana legalization, 52% of respondents said yes, 37% said no, and 11% were not sure.
Liberty: people deserve freedom to use marijuana.
The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask 'why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco.
SUMMARY: Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others.

Anyone who has ever been charged in the court of law for Marijuana should be able to sue the government. The fact is the government has with held important information regarding Marijuana that would couse it to be legal the government is wrong in lying to the american people and with holding the information as so the government should pay for its crimes against the people

Mon, 05/11/2009 - 12:13pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

At least. Vietnam was unwinnable and unjust and so is the war on selected drugs, this applies to both cannabis and hard drugs. The so-called "collateral" damage to civilians was very high (no 'smart' bombs back then) and was a factor in turning public opinion against Vietnam, same with the war on drugs.
-newageblues

Wed, 05/13/2009 - 9:47pm Permalink

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