If you want a visual representation of just how out of touch the current administration is with the average American, go to a Women’s March this weekend. In the meantime, enjoy this new poll on Americans and our support for cannabis legalization.
Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted a survey for Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), one of the most well known anti-legalization groups in the country. 1,000 registered voters were asked to choose from 1 of 4 options how they felt about federal marijuana laws.
- 16% favored keeping the current policy, which prohibits the use of cannabis for any purpose and classifies it as a schedule 1 narcotic with no medicinal value.
- 49% of participants chose the other end of the spectrum – full legalization of the commercial production, use, and sale of cannabis for recreational use.
- 29% of participants support legalizing “physician-supervised medical use” of cannabis.
- And 5% support decriminalizing cannabis, which would remove criminal penalties for use and allow for medical use, but prohibit sales.
- Only 1% of responses were unsure.
Here’s a visual, courtesy of Vox:
Smart Approaches to Marijuana says this means the country is “evenly split” on whether we should legalize cannabis.
“These results clearly indicate the oft-touted vast public support for marijuana legalization has a shakier foundation than marijuana investors would have you believe,” said SAM President Kevin Sabet, who has joined Jeff Sessions in marijuana policy meetings. “This should give pause to politicians and marijuana financiers alike.”
Should it, though? What I see here is that 82% of the people polled do not support federal marijuana laws. That’s 82% of people polled by an anti-marijuana group who disagree with the group, which is known for using scare tactics and emotional manipulation to lobby against cannabis under the safety of everyone’s favorite “think of the children” cloak. There is no pragmatic way for Sabet to spin this poll into something he can use to his advantage, especially when support for legal cannabis continues to climb.
Even Republicans are coming around – 36% of Republicans polled support full legalization, 36% support medical cannabis, and only 25% support keeping the current policy.
When 82% of people polled by an anti-marijuana group literally want the federal government to (at the very least) stop criminalizing marijuana, maybe it’s time to stop criminalizing marijuana and start listening to the people.