Posted on 10/22/2013 2:35:59 PM PDT by Olog-hai
For marijuana advocates, the last 12 months have been a period of unprecedented success as Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. And now for the first time, a clear majority of Americans (58%) say the drug should be legalized. This is in sharp contrast to the time Gallup first asked the question in 1969, when only 12% favored legalization.
Public support for legalization more than doubled in the 1970s, growing to 28%. It then plateaued during the 1980s and 1990s before inching steadily higher since 2000, reaching 50% in 2011.
A sizable percentage of Americans (38%) this year admitted to having tried the drug, which may be a contributing factor to greater acceptance. …
(Excerpt) Read more at gallup.com ...
Ask each individual state and see what result you get.
Voters legalized it, here in WA. I believe a Pandora’s box has been opened. Time will tell. Because the beauacracy hasn’t a clue as to how to handle the problems this will generate.
Ask them how many support 0.08 BAC DWI laws. Every state has them (strong armed by the Federal government and possibly headed downward again).
Ask them how many support restricting hours of the sale of beer and liquor (hours, days, quantity, etc.).
Ask them how many support bans on smoking tobacco in a hotel room. In a car with children. In a public park.
Either the public “has no say” in many such matters or else they are voicing conflicting/hypocritical views.
Exactly.
In this time of an over-reaching federal government, I find it quite ironic that the biggest battle on the states’ rights front is being led by the hippies and dopers.
Marijuana legalization is a states’ rights issue, and it’s fun watching the battles.
I’m sure they’ll like all the new laws that come with it.
Might as well. The public has already largely vacated the law by their actions. There are more people out there smoking pot than you would ever realize and you would be surprised to find out who some of them are. People you would never, ever think of.
Legalize, tax it, treat it like hard liquor. Be done with it, use the money and resources being used on it for the truly hard, really destructive stuff. Coke, meth, heroine, etc.
Prohibition taught us one thing if nothing else; if enough of the public doesn’t mind breaking a law then that law cannot be enforced.
stupid people are the majority, look who is in the white house.
Or you could just decriminalize it and dispense with all the other BS.
Or repeal the constitutional amendment that prohibited it.
WA legalized marijuana last November so I would think that some effects would be seen by now? I google searched for increased crime, and even increased drug use and found nothing. I also googled for decreased crime and decreased arrests and found nothing. As a matter of fact the only place I found any writing about results was something called theweedblog and I don't think they would be objective on the matter. Since WA and CO decided to be guinny pigs it would be interesting to see what issues, or successes, they are having.
Unless you are interested in freedom. If so, legalize personal cultivation.
Not surprised as decades of public schools have produced one hell of a lot of scum in the USA.
We are becoming less civilized with every passing day.
But, when it does become fully implemented, how many stoned drivers will be on I5 during the rush hours?
Ah yes. A new revenue source. Gots to feed the beast. How about legalize it and call it a day?
That’s fine too.
The reasoning behind “legalize, tax, regulate” is that it would seem to do more to legitimize the post-legalization distribution system of marijuana. Legalize in this manner and the major players....tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals....with their ready made production, warehousing, and, distribution systems for just such a product would seemingly have the advantage in the marketing of the new legal product verses for example Mexican cartels attempting to become “legit” to try to market the product.
I have no huge problem paying taxes on a recreational substances like this. We do for alcohol and tobacco already. May be a separate discussion, but, either we pay taxes for such substances or we don’t. Across the board. And I’m a big fan of alcohol and I (though slowly quitting) smoke, so, I’m already paying them all the time.
What I find amusing is the touting of a 50% favorable rating, so yea, lets make it legal they say...vs. the 58+% who DO NOT WANT OBAMACARE, oh wait, too bad, we won...right?! Damn funny how they love math when it works for them and use their magic math other times. Arrggg
Maybe they can take out the drunk drivers.
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