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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSurprised At Speed Of Gay Marriage? Pot Legalization Is Next
HUNTER WALKER APRIL 2, 2013, 2:00 PM
With the Supreme Court now at least considering a definitive statement in favor of gay marriage and support for marriage equality now practically a litmus test issue for Democratic politicians, Americans across the political spectrum are expressing surprise at how rapidly this once marginalized idea became something like a national consensus. Though equality remains law in fewer than a dozen states and no one is holding their breath to get gay married in Alabama or Arkansas, everybody gets that the debate is largely over. Even archconservative thought leader Rush Limbaugh has admitted its only a matter of time. But if you were surprised at how quickly marriage equality happened, get ready for another shock: pots going to be legal too. The same demographic and cultural changes that propelled marriage equality to majority status are already pushing support for legal pot to the same place.
TPM analyzed all available, nationwide polling data on the questions of full marijuana legalization and marriage equality for the past 18 years and found public opinion on the two issues has taken a nearly identical trajectory. In the mid-1990s, average public support and opposition for both marriage equality and marijuana legalization was at fairly similar levels. In 1995, 25 percent of those polled supported marijuana legalization while 73 percent opposed it. One year later, 27 percent of people polled backed marriage equality while 68 percent were against it. Over the next decade and change support for both marriage equality and marijuana legalization grew to similar levels. Currently, an average of 50.6 percent of people polled this year support gay marriage and 42.6 percent oppose it. The most recent polling on marijuana legalization is from last year and shows average support at 48.5 percent and average opposition at 48 percent.
Though marijuana legalization is slightly behind marriage equality in terms of public opinion, it has enjoyed a steadier climb along the way to earning the support of nearly half the country. As the accompanying chart shows, backing and opposition to marriage equality has undergone some dramatic dips and peaks over the last seventeen years. On the other hand, support for marijuana legalization has simply moved, pardon the pun, higher and higher each year. This could be an indication marijuana legalization may enjoy an even smoother ride to ultimate approval than marriage equality.
TPM spoke with activists working on both issues and they identified several reasons marijuana legalization may have a less bumpy road along the way to earning nationwide support. Erik Altieri, a spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a pro-marijuana lobbying group, said a major factor behind this may be legalizations natural appeal among some conservatives and libertarians who see it as a civil liberties issue.
more:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/marriage-equalitymarijuana-legalization.php?ref=fpb
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)and normalize trade relations with Cuba...
Malik Agar
(102 posts)1. get some $ and investors
2. Open a casino and beach resort in Cuba
3. have the embargo end
4. ?????
5. profit
UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Mopar151
(9,978 posts)The Havana Rollers???? They have talent for sure, plenty of history, and an old fireballer who should throw out the first pitch. Great icebreaker for tourisim, spring training, fantasy camps....
Scuba
(53,475 posts)lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)To what extent is the progress on cultural issues a bone being thrown to distract from the fundamental structural issues raised by OWS.
Myrina
(12,296 posts)... a set up for "yes it will be legal but Lilly, Pfizer or Monsanto will own the patent and you must buy their brand OTC" .... in other words, someone's gonna make a shit ton of money, and it won't be any local grower/seller.
You bet. However imagine the new vibe to farmers markets. Get some killer fresh veggies, and some killer weed. Individuals with consistent grow operations will be able to compete. Cloning high quality plants is simple.
randome
(34,845 posts)Same thing will happen with marijuana.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Gallup released a report Wednesday afternoon showing a decline in American cigarette Smoking. At the same time, tobacco companies are reporting great profits and trading stocks at all-time highs.
Tobacco Companies
have provided investors good returns over the last couple of years, says financial blog Seeking Alpha, adding, Over the last 2 years, the shares of all these tobacco companies have rallied over more than 50 percent.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/23/smoking-down-as-tobacco-profits-soar/
The anti-tobacco suits were a tool of market consolidation & control.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)Some countries - the Czech Republic, for instance - have what I consider to be sensible laws about marijuana. I'm going from memory here, so I may not be completely correct, but I think it's legal to use, and legal to grow your own. It is in theory illegal to sell and manufacture for sale. I'm disturbed when people cheer on capitalisms embrace of recreational drug use, for so many reasons.
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)was going on. It's the next sop. They'll give on social issues to distract from the economic ones. It IS another support for the theory that OWS scared (or maybe startled would be a better word) the owners though.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,580 posts)Isoldeblue
(1,135 posts)to see this happen. As a retired woman with serious health issues, it would be a joy to be able to obtain the kind herb without fear.
pamela
(3,469 posts)I'm traveling across the Southwest and was afraid to carry any. Plus, I don't know anyone in these states so no chance of getting any safely. I'm in my fifties and also have issues that only pot seems to help. It makes me cry that I can't get some safely and legally. What's the harm? It's crazy.
EC
(12,287 posts)because he'll support it and the Dems will not. I hope we have forward looking Dems on this. So far all I've seen were pols that laugh and say no.
Isoldeblue
(1,135 posts)no matter who get's it to happen, would be ridiculous and stupid. I seriously doubt proponents of medical cannabis would care. I know I wouldn't if I could openly buy it and use it without secretly hiding it, to relieve the pain, etc.
Our health should not be a political issue. But that's only in an ideal world (rather only in the US).
Anyway, I believe that Dems are far more reasonable and willing to compromise, than rethugs are. Especially, on an issue like this, where a huge majority of people, from both sides, want it decriminalized.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Kurovski
(34,655 posts)very soon indeed.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)For both of 'em.