Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana

[n1ywb]

Well the 2011 Gallup Crime Poll is out, and surprise, for the first time ever a plurality of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. What's more it looks like the increase in support is accelerating. How long until prohibition is repealed?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/Record-High-Americans-Favor-Legalizing-Marijuana.aspx

 

[ocean_jet]

Practice liberty and personal responsibility.

Legalize it.

 

[tone]

Legalize it, don't criticize it!

 

[tbburg]

I could not give a damn.

The only travesty in Marijuana prohibition, is that they don't allow any medicinal use of the plant, regardless of the effect.(No, I'm not talking about some idiot stoner getting a "prescription" from his "physician" for his "condition" so he can buy from the "medicinal marijuana dispensary" .
Walk into ANY hospital in the nation: the pharmacy stocks medical grade cocaine(or derivatives), heroin(or derivatives), and methamphetamine. THC, however, has no approved medical use.

 

[Beezil]

Tax it

Make more room in prison for real criminals

Tax the crap out of it


Use the tax revenue to pass out bars of soap to occupiers

 

[Matt S.]

Tax it

Make more room in prison for real criminals

Tax the crap out of it


Use the tax revenue to pass out bars of soap to occupiers

AMEN! :guitar:

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Agree.. tax the hell out of it.. sell it in liquor stores 21+

 

[Boatwrench]

Tax it

Make more room in prison for real criminals

Tax the crap out of it


Use the tax revenue to pass out bars of soap to occupiers

twice in one night now Pepsi has shot out my nose and it stings just as much the second time.

 

[urban yan]

I don't smoke pot; it's hard to find time on account of my strict drinking regime, but I say they should legalize and tax it.

 

[n1ywb]

I could not give a damn.

Do you give a damn about the $10-$14 billion that's spent annually on it to no real effect other than subsidizing private prisons and law enforcement and jailing a good number of otherwise productive members of society? We have more citizens in jail than communist China, and I'm talking absolute numbers not per capita. Guess what most of them are in jail for?

 

[n1ywb]

Oh not to mention how prohibition creates a lucrative black market that funds gangs and Mexican cartels, yeah, who cares about that.

 

[Manic Mechanic]

As far as legalizing it, as long as there are policies/laws and a tax system in place (I'd rather tax the hell out of it than my personal income or gas), I see no reason why not to legalize. What I see happening is taking existing smoking/drinking laws and combining them to create marijuana laws. So for example, if you can't drink on the job, you can't smoke on the job, or show up stoned. If you can't smoke a cigarette in a certain area, then obviously you can't smoke pot there. Its really just common sense stuff. I really think that the mindset that legalizing will cause a massive collapse of society is just retarded. Some ideas for laws and such would be:
-21 and up
-DUI laws apply to marijuana. Can't pass a field sobriety test, go to jail.
-Require same zoning as liqour stores
-Sells and distribution fall under same regulatory organization as alcohol (in Texas its the TABC)
-Criminalize the 'bootleg' market (combined with competitive pricings. who wants to go to jail for an once of weed that costs about the same as it does at the store?)

The benefits has already been discussed before. Smaller jail populations, increased tax revenue, etc. Anyways, just my $0.02,

-Eric

 

[Darky]

Oh not to mention how prohibition creates a lucrative black market that funds gangs and Mexican cartels, yeah, who cares about that.

There's another way to ease the problem of a growing population of drug offenders in prison: kill the war on drugs. That's the real problem, right? Marijuana has been illegal since, what, the 30's or so? We didn't have huge prison populations until the war on drugs started in the late 80's. That is something that actually has a chance at passing through the Congress. Put drug offenders on probation or community service instead of prison. Seek to get them in rehab instead of prison.

Also, related note: do you have stats for how many of those drug offenders are in prison for weed? Depending on your answer, legalizing marijuana may or may not have a substantial impact on prison populations.

 

[hubs97xj]

I don't think legalization is remotely possible until another generation or two of legislators have passed on. Decriminalization is probably more likely, but I don't expect that for another decade or two. What the majority want, and what the government often gives them, are two different things entirely.

 

[n1ywb]

I don't think legalization is remotely possible until another generation or two of legislators have passed on. Decriminalization is probably more likely, but I don't expect that for another decade or two. What the majority want, and what the government often gives them, are two different things entirely.

Time will tell, but it does look like the public support charts are doing a hocky stick. Did anybody watch Ken Burns' Prohibition? It's amazing how fast alcohol prohibition fell apart... Not that it ever really worked...

 

[hubs97xj]

Oh I agree, I just don't think some of those behind the war on drugs, will admit they've been chasing a pipe-dream for years.

 

[Boatwrench]

I am part of that 50%. I do not partake, have been drug tested on my job for 25+ years.

 

[n1ywb]

Oh I agree, I just don't think some of those behind the war on drugs, will admit they've been chasing a pipe-dream for years.

No the real zealots will probably never cave. But the politicians who only care about getting re-elected will fold like a cheap suit once the see which way the wind is blowing. Hey, maybe the system works afterall!

 

[420BlackXJ]

Imagine if I chimed in on this thread.............oh yeah, I am.
Shoulda let that roach just burn itself out and not relight it until it was gone.:smoker:

Who cares if it is legal or not? Certainly not the current crop of users.
They will smoke it legal or not.
All legalizing would do is make it a cash crop, but that will never be allowed to happen, too many powerful interests against it. ( logging industry, paper, textiles, high quality veg. oil etc.)
Status quo.:attom:

 

[Begster]

Just as long as there are laws in place that do not allow people to smoke it out doors in public places. I for one hate the smell of pot, hate it. I don't want to be out in public, and constantly smelling the terrible smell because some people are lighting up. I don't want your second hand smoke, and I definitely don't want your second hand high.