Smoking Pot and Tying the Knot

Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed for the first time to take on the issue of gay marriage. No matter how it rules in the two cases it will hear next spring, polling data suggest it is only a matter of time before legal recognition of same-sex unions is the norm throughout the country.

Something similar is happening with marijuana, which became legal in Washington last week and in Colorado on Monday. With both pot and gay marriage, familiarity is breeding tolerance.

The cases before the Supreme Court deal with popular reactions against gay marriage: the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law that barred the federal government from recognizing state-licensed gay marriages, and Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that amended California's Constitution to eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry, which the California Supreme Court had recognized that year. But something interesting happened after those measures passed: Surveys now indicate that most Americans support gay marriage.

The turnaround was remarkably fast. A 1996 Gallup poll found that 27 percent of Americans thought same-sex marriages should be "recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages"; by last year, that number had nearly doubled. Recent surveys by ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN also put support for gay marriage above 50 percent.

Striking generational differences mean these numbers will continue to rise. In a CBS News poll last month, 72 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds supported gay marriage, compared to 53 percent of 30- to 44-year-olds, 44 percent of 45- to 64-year-olds and 33 percent of respondents who were 65 or older.

The consequences of these changing attitudes could be seen in last month's election results. For the first time ever, gay marriage was legalized by popular referendum -- not in one state, but in three: Maine, Maryland and Washington. Voters in a fourth state, Minnesota, rejected an initiative that would have amended the state constitution to prohibit gay marriage (which is already banned there by statute).

On the same day, voters in Colorado and Washington approved ballot measures aimed at legalizing the cultivation, possession and sale of marijuana for recreational use. The initiatives won by surprisingly healthy margins of about 10 points in both states, in contrast with a California legalization measure that lost by 7 points two years ago.

Nationwide support for marijuana legalization, like nationwide support for gay marriage, has increased dramatically, although not quite as swiftly, rising from 12 percent in a 1969 Gallup poll to a record 50 percent last year. While support for legalization dipped a bit during the anti-pot backlash of the Just Say No era, it began rising again in the 1990s. Public Policy Polling recently put it at 58 percent, the highest level ever recorded.

With pot as with gay marriage, there are clear age-related differences, reflecting different levels of experience with marijuana. In the CBS News survey, support for legalization was 54 percent among 18- to 29-year-olds, 53 percent among 30- to 44-year-olds, 46 percent among 45- to 64-year-olds and 30 percent among respondents of retirement age.

Just as an individual's attitude toward gay people depends to a large extent on how many he knows (or, more to the point, realizes he knows), his attitude toward pot smokers (in particular, his opinion about whether they should be treated like criminals) is apt to be influenced by his personal experience with them. Americans younger than 65, even if they have never smoked pot, probably know people who have, and that kind of firsthand knowledge provides an important reality check on the government's anti-pot propaganda.

Another clear pattern in both of these areas: Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to oppose legalizing gay marriage and marijuana. Yet Republicans are also more likely to oppose federal interference with state policy choices. In light of DOMA's disregard for state marriage laws and the Obama administration's threats to prevent Colorado and Washington from allowing marijuana sales, now is put-up-or-shut-up time for the GOP's avowed federalists.

It's never come up? Do you live in a convent? It's only not come up because you've chose to ignore the subject. (and just to qualify, yes, that's an opinion, as is 95% of whats said here. Didn't know I had to distinguish everything I print. You sound a little paranoid.)If it's never come up, how do you know it's not how ‘they roll’? Maybe they do like to roll. Do your kids know you smoke pot? Since to you it's actually less harmful than alcohol, why not introduce them? Would you connect them with your dealer if they decided they like it? I've given you a shovel, keep digging, dad of the year.

They call it dope for a reason.

And it’s a far cry from alcohol. You can have a drink or two and still think rationally. Once you are stoned, even a little bit stoned, your mindset completely changes. And not for the better.

Why is it that some folks see alcohol use as a spectrum (drink a little, minimal impact - drink a lot, major impact) but think pot is like a light switch, on or off, and once on, you were all in?

Bramps, when you smoked pot, did you never notice that if you took just a hit or two off the joint the impact was considerably less than if you burned the big fatty all by yourself?

Because there is a giant difference. My point was clear.

Yes, your unsubstantiated opinion was quite clear. A story oft told, in fact, but mostly, like yours, personal opinion disguised as fact.

Invented "facts" are all the Drug Warriors have to work with.

But my question is. why not bring up the subject? You are depriving your loved ones of the wonders of pot. They know you drink. Drinking is no different than pot, give them a joint or two and see what they think. Invite JustSayNoToNannies over with the kids, light up a couple joints, and have a deep discussion of whether or not Pink Floyd was better or worse when...when...oh,oh...I forgot what I was going to ask.

Just some good family bonding.

Seriously, your pissed right now at me for suggesting that you would ever do anything to harm your kids. Am I’m sure you wouldn’t. AND THAT’S why pot has never come up. A good parent, especially one who has smoked pot, viscerally knows that it’s more harmful than alcohol. Walk the walk, show your kids this thread and your comments, then get back to me. JustSayNoToNannies, you can just sit in the corner and keep eating your ice cream and taking the occasional bong hit. Maybe you’ll prove the exception and actually start making sense if you’ve smoked enough.

Merry Christmas. May all your buds be green!

Again, if I thought for a moment that you were actually interested in hearing what anyone with a differing opinion has to say, I’d try to correct your multiple misunderstandings. But I’m pretty sure you don’t really want that, you’d prefer an extra springboard enabling you to continue to hear the sound of your own voice.

Merry Christmas to you as well.

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