Survey USA released today a poll of the Washington referendum question that would regulate and legalize growing, distributing and possessing small amounts of marijuana. The results are startling.
In the poll, 57% favor passage of the referendum question and just 34% oppose it. This result follows Gallup reporting this year that nationally for the first time a majority supports regulation and legalization of Marijuana. And support for medical marijuana laws regularly approaches 80% in polling.
All this points to a public opinion tipping point being reached concerning the criminalization of Marijuana. A number of factors are likely at work in moving public opinion, but Ron Paul's Presidential campaign that embraced legalizing marijuana may have accelerated changing opinion.
By engaging the thinking of tens of millions of people, prominent but failed Presidential campaigns can still change the course of America. I suspect that Ron Paul and his campaign is doing that on the issue of marijuana control.
But the real test comes this November 6th at the ballot box, when Colorado and Oregon will also have marijuana referendum questions on the ballot. The fate of those questions will be part of a fascinating, consequential election day in our great democracy.
I went to school with a couple of guys that are now employed in law enforcement out in Colorado. They report that the medical marijuana laws there are the best thing that's happened to them in a long time.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has by far the highest rate of incarceration of of its citizens of any country in the world, and a huge portion of that is non-violent drug offenders. And they are put there by arcane mandatory minimum sentencing laws drafted by politicians who wanted to look "tough" on crime.
It's high time (no pun intended) that we start treating drug use and addiction as a public health issue and spending tax dollars to actually help fix the problem through counseling and social programs, rather than with jail cells. Institutionalizing people and then burdening them with an arrest record and the status of being an ex-con makes it infinitely tougher to get a job and make a better life, which is vital to kicking addiction.
I was very pleased to see you addressing this on your blog Mr. Hanger. We've got better things to do with our tax dollars than chasing around Cheech and Chong.
Your comment is powerful and now represents a majority view.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
ReplyDeleteMarijuana shojld be treated the same as Alcohol or Tabacco. Marijuauna is far less damaging and is helpful for many condtions.
The drug scheduling is a Joke......