For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

For first time, majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana

Thu Apr 4, 2013 7:39pm BST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the first time, a majority of Americans back legalizing marijuana, marking significant changes in public opinion toward the drug, especially among the young, a survey by the Pew Research Center showed on Thursday.

The survey showed 52 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, which the federal government deems an illegal drug even as many states have loosened restrictions on "pot" use.

Support for legalizing pot has risen by 11 points since 2010 and was up from just 12 percent backing in 1969, when 84 percent of those polled opposed legalization. In the most recent survey, 45 percent of Americans opposed legalization.

"For the first time in more than four decades of polling on the issue, a majority of Americans favor legalizing the use of marijuana," Pew said in a statement.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKBRE9330YE20130404

[tridim]

1. Support was also above 50% in last year's poll.. So no it's not the first time.

But good news nonetheless.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. First time for Pew. Gallup was at 50% two years ago, down to 48% last time.

But four other December polls from different groups had support at 47%, 50%, 54%, and 57%. We are on the cusp.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2012/dec/05/quinnipiac_pollster_calls_mariju

[tridim]

7. Thanks for the better numbers. nt

[xtraxritical]

2. I would rather get mine locally and not pay layers of taxes on it. eff dat

[4_TN_TITANS]

5. If the local was better (and it's pretty darn good)

that's where I'd go, but I'd definitely be willing to pay taxes if the legal stuff were comparable. So much of it now is Mexican brick that you have no idea what's been done to it (pesticides, molds, etc.). QA would be a definite plus.

When you consider tax revenue and incarceration costs it's a no-brainer.

[xtraxritical]

6. Eff taxes, that's all.

[patrice]

4. Hoping for quality control and willing to pay for it. nt

[Andy Stanton]

8. The Good and the Bad

The good is that organized crime won't control the marijuana market.

The bad is that more people will be stoned behind the wheel.

[RedstDem]

11. more people high on marijuana behind the wheel isn't bad

it's not the same as drink divers, actually they're the opposite of drink drivers, so road rage rates will drop like a stone, traffic will move more freely, except maybe a little slower.

people that are high on marijuana are always a little too cautious driving down the road.

[bravenak]

10. I hope we can get it done.

Maybe then we can get rid of that spice crap all the young adults are smoking. It's gross. I thought marijuana stunk until I smelled spice.

[Malik Agar]

12. Hopefully this helps change drug testing attitudes...

Ridiculous that a person can get fired for smoking 1 joint on their vacation time...

[tabasco]

13. No kidding

How many lives have been ruined in the irrational campaign against a drug far less harmful than alcohol ?

[SCVDem]

14. Remove Cannabis from a piss test!

It took me 2 months to be clean. Two months!

This is a useless employment screening which proves nothing.

My alcoholic workmate was always late and finally after 10 final warnings was canned.

What is the point again for this invasion of my privacy?