Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Support for legalizing and taxing marijuana out-muscled opposition to it in the latest Rasmussen poll to ask respondents about the issue. Support was at 47%, while opposition was at 42%, with 10% undecided in the poll released last Thursday.
Rasmussen conducted a telephone survey of 1,000 adults nationwide this week. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3%.
Support is up four points since Rasmussen last asked that question in July 2010. That's in line with most recent national polls, which show a continuing upward trend for legalization, which is now hovering on the cusp of majority support. Angus Reid polled support for legalization at 55% in August, while Gallup had at it 50% in October, continuing long-term upward trends in support. A November CBS News poll had support at only 40%, a decline from its previous number, but it is the downside outlier.
Colorado and Washington will vote on marijuana legalization initiatives in November, but the Rasmussen poll doesn't provide cross-tabs and geographic breakdowns to anyone except paying subscribers, so regional data is unavailable. Most other polls show higher levels of support for marijuana legalization in the West than in the country as a whole.
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Comments
Polling will change just before election
About one week before the election, the polling will turn negative against legalization. It will then be used to remove any doubt that the vote counting was rigged.
In reply to Polling will change just before election by Jose3 (not verified)
You and your conspiracy theories
Lol. How do you expect cannabis will ever be legalized when we have dopeheads like you advancing nonsense conspiracies like this one. Even if the government wanted to rig the vote, which if they had the choice they probably would, there is no way that something like that could be carried out in the United States. I'm not a big fan of that country's actions around the world, but on paper they're a democracy, and you'd have to give me some pretty substantial evidence to convince me otherwise. Prop 19 failed because more people voted against than for, albeit with a little prodding from powerful interests. Be patient and the remaining people will turn.
 he said. “You know,
he said. “You know, the idea you would keep on doing the same thing over and over again, even though it’s been proven not to work. That’s a sign of madness.”
~B. Obama.
Legal marijuana
I live in Colorado. Every time I meet a person who uses medical marijuana, I ask them if they are going to vote to legalize it (treat it like alcohol) in November. They either don't vote or think it should stay illegal for everyone but them. Makes me crazy.
In reply to Legal marijuana by Bikerchick (not verified)
I hope you don't let them get
I hope you don't let them get away without a follow-up question. Personally, I'd go for something emotive, like 'how many kids being shot in Mexico would you consider a price worth paying for your not voting?'.
In reply to Legal marijuana by Bikerchick (not verified)
Pot Heads Not Greedy
People that smoke marijuana either for medical purposes or recreational use.
Are not greedy and believe in freeing the weed at all levels....
wonder what the poll response would be
if the question mentioned reducing alcohol related catastrophes as a second reason. I think that argument will be made strongly in Colorado (SAFER) and hopefully in Washington State as well this year, and will help convince some people who are not that impressed with the idea of legalizing weed for its tax revenue potential.
1972 National Commission on Marijuana
The Federal governments own Commission recommended back in 1972. that possession for personal use no longer be an offense and that casual distribution for no remuneration or insignificant remuneration , not involving profit would no longer be an offense. Its way past time for the people to wake up and legalize this most beneficial herb. Its the greatest plant on the planet. It can feed, clothe, shelter,medicate and meditate.Popular Mechanics called it a Billion dollar crop in 1938 just for its commercial applications
In reply to 1972 National Commission on Marijuana by Jeff Brown (not verified)
Still sounds biased to me.
Still sounds biased to me. Its OK to profit from selling other foods and drugs in a system where some 10% will recieve almost nothing and >1% will receive 25,000-50,000 times more than average, but god forbid someone turn a profit off of a Cannabis plant.
Question itself is biased
The survey question itself ("To help solve America's fiscal problems, should the country legalize and tax marijuana?") is biased, presenting an argument for a “yes” answer in the question itself. One wonders how it would have come out if it had been asked as “Should the country legalize marijuana?” or, with a different bias "To protect people of color from acquiring police records, the country should legalize marijuana?"
I hope (and suspect) most of our politicians are too ignorant to see the bias.
Since we are talking about legalization
We must now admit that Obama has betrayed us on this and so many other issues. Amish farmers are getting arrested just for selling raw milk. The US is now militarily involved in a dozen countries and subverting many more. We might as well teach Obomba a lesson by voting for Ron Paul in the primaries or Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate or Roseanne Barr the Green Party candidate in November to show that pot people can longer be counted on to be a CAPTIVE to the Democrats.
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