Poll Finds Legalizing Marijuana is Good Policy, WA Drug Decriminalization Initiative Campaign Gets Underway, More... (4/22/20)

A new poll finds most of us think marijuana legalization has been a success, Lebanon's parliament approves medical marijuana and hemp cultivation, and more.

A new poll finds that most Americans think legalizing marijuana has been a successful policy. (Creative Commons)

Poll Finds Majority of Americans Think Marijuana Legalization Is a Successful Policy. A new YouGov poll of 27,000 adults finds that a majority of Americans believe marijuana legalization laws are a success. Some 19% of respondents said legalization was a "success only," while another 36% said it was "more of a success than a failure." That's 55% between the two. Only 6% said it was a "failure only" and only 13% said it was "more of a failure than a success." That's less than one out of five saying legalization is a failure. About a quarter of respondents had no opinion. The figures held true across all regions of the country. Democrats, however, were much more likely to say legalization was a success (67%) than Republicans (41%)

Drug Decriminalization

Washington State Drug Decriminalization Initiative Campaign Gets Underway. A group of activists calling itself Treatment First Oregon is working to place a drug decriminalization and expanded drug treatment initiative on the November ballot. The measure, Initiative 1715, would use marijuana tax revenues to fund drug treatment. It would also have police refer people caught with drugs to a mandatory assessment to be screened for substance abuse disorder within 72 hours. The campaign will need some 259,000 valid voter signatures by July 3 to qualify for the ballot. The campaign says it hopes to go all out with signature gathering in the month of June.

International

Lebanese Parliament Approves Medical Marijuana, Hemp Production as Economy Struggles Amidst Coronavirus Crisis. The parliament on Tuesday approved legislation to legalize marijuana production for medicinal and industrial uses, a move recommended by economic advisers even before the coronavirus pandemic hit the struggling economy. The measure doesn't legalize recreational marijuana or hashish sales, for which the country is famous, but it does seek to create a new legal marijuana industry.