Public Opinion: Rasmussen Poll Finds 41% Favor Legalizing and Taxing Marijuana
According to the polling organization Rasmussen Reports, 41% of likely voters think the US should legalize and tax marijuana to help solve the country's fiscal problems. But 49% oppose the idea. A Rasmussen poll in February had similar results, with 40% favoring legalization and 46% opposed.
The not-quite-there numbers for marijuana legalization are in line with other polling results in recent months. A recent Zogby poll showing 52% for legalization is the high-end outlier and the only poll so far to show majority support for legalization nationwide.
In the most recent Rasmussen poll, a majority of Democrats (52%) supported legalizing and taxing pot, but only 28% of Republicans did. Independent voters split more evenly, with 41% supporting legalization and 47% opposed. Support for legalization was stronger among young adults than those over 40.
Even in California, where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently said that legalization should be debated and where pro-legalization sentiment is assumed to be strong, a mid-month Rasmussen poll found that the public is not quite there yet. Some 45% of likely voters supported legalizing and taxing marijuana to help the state's fiscal crisis, but 46% were opposed.
The polls suggest there is work to be done by legalization advocates. Nearly half of likely voters (46%) believe marijuana is a "gateway drug" despite that notion being thoroughly discredited. Only slightly more than one-third (37%) said they didn't buy the gateway notion.
Comments
Zogby says we Already Have a Majority -- So lets end it now!
There is no need to wait any longer. Call you representatives today and simply say: "either legalize under the MERP Model or loose you job in 2010. We are not kidding about this any longer"
The only model that will wipe out the Drug Cartels is one where individuals can grow their own: No Taxes, No Regulations, No More Drug Cartels.
The MERP Model is the answer and neither Dave Borden, nor anyone else in the "moneyed movement" will allow a discussion about their "tax and regulate" model Vs the real solution: No Taxes, No Regulations! for Personal Cultivation.
That is because George Soros is pulling the strings so he can profit from a highly regulated, government controlled model of legalization that WILL NOT destroy the Cartels. Read all about it right here:
How the Marijuana Re-Legalization Movement Has Been Betrayed by Soros, Nadleman (DPA) and Kampia (MPP)
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP/RelegalizeNowObama08.htm
For numerous essays and videos on MERP:
MERP Headquarters
The Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project (MRPP)
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP.htm
In reply to Zogby says we Already Have a Majority -- So lets end it now! by Bruce W. Cain (not verified)
Yeah, uh.....
MERP is a Libertarian Trojan Horse....They (those "Monied Lobbyists") favor tax and regulate because they are Liberals not Libertarians. Duh!
Tomatoes are taxed (indirectly through sale) and regulated (directly through production and distribution)....You can still grow your own if you want without taxes or much regulation. Most people do not; why would they? People grow because they want to grow, and most do not. I suppose Tomatoes should only be or mostly be available through personal cultivation with no regulation considering how competent the average person is with Horticulture and everything else involved in food production.
I (personally) will be made wealthy from any model that is possible. Piss and wine all you want. I will be made wealthy (More or less) because my Product, Business, Horticultural, Social, and Chemical practices are/will be superior. MERP would be more profitable for me then having to work for the Govment cause I wouldnât be subject to price and distribution regulations.
MERP will result in more problems due to lack of proper regulatory structure. 1,000 plants for personal cultivation without a description of commercial regulatory structure is too many and too vague of a description. What would an Individual do with a 1,000 Tomato plants- Sell em, thatâs what. We are talking about a nontoxic, highly desirable, psychotropic plant that produces profound pleasurable alteration of consciousness in many people. Theft, shotty Horticultural, Business, Social, Chemical, and Distribution practices will abound. It is not that people are necessarily evil (some are: ~>%1, I guess), but rather, they are mostly stupid and/or short sighted.
Cannabis will be regulated and produced much like contemporary Ethanol is with slightly higher standards (Ethanol will be subject to a more stringent regulatory structure in the future due to higher associated risk factors). We will buy our substances from a Govment regulated industry (Not Govment produced or distributed, that's Communism which seems to necessarily become corrupt belying its true expression) or produce our own in limited quantities relative to the limits of personal consumption within an annual or biannual timeframe. No one should be able buy and sell (Read: generate profits) anything without Taxation. There is no way I wouldn't be a tax free distributer under MERP if I wanted to be local. That is absurd. I could control half of the nation's supply completly unregulated under the conempory description of MERP.
All drugs will be available to competent, responsible adults in the future. I will produce my own, and compare commercially/medically available Cannabinoids, Opioids, Pheneylethylamines, Tryptamines, Lysergic acid amides, Amphetamines, Cathinones, etc... Itâs funny tho, I will never produce my own Ethanol or LSD as I do not want to. In the future, We will have to prove competency and responsibility (for practical purposes, according to contemporary standards, to family and community) in order to legally have and/or produce anything at all that is not able to destroy thousands or millions in one feld swoop like high level biological pathogens or nukes and the likes, but is fairly to highly problematic in a population.
Basing your legalization arguments on safety does not serve the cause of increasing Liberty (absolute Libertarianism is Liberty for some, the Elites/Rich/Powerful, which results in less Liberty overall) as anything that is considered non-safe or risky will be strictly regulated like the Pharm Industry and contemporary Prohibition. We should not have to go to a freaking Doctor to prescribe ourselves anything at all. Simply, We must prove competency and responsibility in a written and verbal form through a DMV like agency. Paying what would likely be a fee of ~$50 plus possible (lower) update fees (if contemporary understanding changes) for lifetime (per drug/drug class) licenses is way better than having some douche bag doctor tell me what to do and having to get their freaking consent over and over based on perceived need which that is measured by on their personal lifestyle standards and/or profit desires. One time, doctors approve Our competency and responsibility to family and community based on contemporary scientific understanding of the substance/s in question. Self destructive behavior is acceptable and should be tolerated under certain conditions.
Oh, you'll have to sign insurance waivers and/or pay additional fees cause the State (Taxpayers) ainât gonna pay for some moron's cancer from chronic drug abuse or whatever. Penalties for accidents resulting from improper drug use will be increased.
On another note....People that wine about 6 females not being enough for a medical patient under many current State laws, this one is for you. I live in Oregon where the medical limit is 6 females and 12 juveniles. My patient has Chron's Disease and she smokes constantly. With 6 females (even with one outdoor crop), I could produce many orders of magnitude more then she could possibly consume. So, the argument that 6 plants is insufficient for a medical condition is specious at best and illegitimate at worst. If an Individual can't get enough on 6 fems, then they are shitty Horticulturalists. They should get some freakinâ help, not give people like me a huge advantage on the markets.
I repeat, absolute Libertarianism is a wolf in sheep's clothing period. Proper regulatory structure is a necessity for populations. Indefinite Survival of Society/Civilization/Earth Life dictates this. Without proper regulatory structure We will fall into a modern version of the Dark Ages (Dark Ages are the result of improper regulatory structure by definition) which would probably ultimately lead to Earth Life extinction after we die off. Well, unless some extremely rich and powerful people decide to produce their own off planet dictatorships (somewhat likely). But that would suck cause they would probably be assholes. Extreme wealth and power (Empire) is generally from excessive self-service as far as I can tell. I suppose I could build my own Empire and be a good dictator giving my subjects a semi-democracy. I won't let people make fucked up rules if I did the work to assemble the Empire.
I'm not necessarily against dictatorships and Empires, just generally cause the desire for that sort of thing is usually greater in people with illegitimate authority (ignorant, dishonest, and arbitrary)
Contemporary regulatory structures worldwide are moderately to highly defective period. Past regulatory structures were extremely defective. Future regulatory standards will likely be more reasonable.
I probably should stop running my mouth now.
Good day to you
Legalize Marijuana
Legalize it. Treat it like alcohol plain and simple. End black market and violence.
Iâm so sick of the Gateway Drug Argument. Alcohol is the ULTIMATE GATEWAY DRUG. Itâs probably 90% of peopleâs first buzz. And if they like it, the want more. None of my successful friends that smoke got into heavy drugs like coke.
Once itâs legal it will be exciting for the first 3 months. After that, the people who smoke now, will probably smoke the same amount. And the people who wonât, simply wonât. Not much will change.
And if treated like alcohol. Kids will have as much access to it as a 6 pack of beer. In otherwords, if regulated, kids canât get it.
So legalize it. And to the folks that say NO and that have never done it, what right do they have to judge it?
Legalize & Regulate All Drugs lower Property taxes, Pay Deficits
for great factual page by former law enforcement:
LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - Cops Say Legalize Drugs
Criminal justice professionals speaking out against the War on Drugs.
www.leap.cc/
Add new comment