New National Polling Data on mar1juana The good news is that almost half of America now supports the Tenth Amendment with respect to federal decriminalization of mar1juana combined with letting states regulate and tax the controversial herb. NORML reports: Nearly one out of two Americans support amending federal law “to let states legally regulate and tax mar1juana the way they do liquor and gambling,” according to a national poll of 1,004 likely voters by Zogby International and commissioned by the NORML Foundation. Forty-six percent of respondents — including a majority of those polled on the east (53 percent) and west (55 percent) coasts — say they support allowing states to regulate mar1juana in a manner similar to alcohol. As a pollster who follows mar1juana reform issues, I find the demographics interesting: Respondents’ support for mar1juana law reform was strongly influenced by age and political affiliation. Nearly two-thirds of 18-29 year-olds (65 percent) and half of 50-64 year-olds think federal law should be amended to allow states the option to regulate mar1juana, while majorities of 30-49 year-olds (58 percent) and seniors 65 and older (52 percent) oppose such a change. Among those respondents who identified themselves as Democrats, 59 percent back taxing and regulating mar1juana compared to only 33 percent of Republicans. I understand the positive responses from the 18-29 year-olds, but was pleasantly surprised by the 50-64 year-old respondents. Anecdotally, it’s members of this latter group that have most often been the opposition on mar1juana-related initiatives and legislation I’ve worked. I was also a bit surprised that a majority of people in my age group (30-49) were in opposition. As many in this class are parents, it’s a bit understandable, though. It’s just a shame they don’t realize that their children are the ones being hurt the most by our current radical and extreme drug policy. Other data provide (emphasis added): Forty-four percent of Independents and 85 percent of Libertarians say they supported the law change. I’m concerned about the 15% of libertarians who didn’t support it. These are likely to be the types who won’t support incremental change of any sort. A related example of libertarian all-or-nothingism exists on a medical mar1juana online poll I ran in Alabama. At present, 38% oppose a state medical mar1juana bill when I include this option: No, the government should have no control over what substance someone takes I’m pretty embarrassed about the 15%/38% of sampled libertarians who refuse to accept incremental reform measures. http://hammeroftruth.com/2006/03/17/new-national-polling-data-on-mar1juana/
Actually, I am a bit surprised that the older folks aren't more in support of it due to the press that medical mar1juana tends to generate. I suspect they may be in the "it can't happen to me boat" or they simply don't keep up with the issues regarding medical mar1juana.
I am encouraged by the fact that the 50-64 age bracket is leaning towards regulation and the fact that the 30-49 bracket leans against regulation shows me that our campaign for regulation should highlight the successes we have had reducing the access that minors have to alcohol and tobacco with the "We Card" program. We can reduce the access our young people have to drugs, but we will have to change our strategy to accomplish that goal.
I know it is just semantics, but I prefer the term "regulate" to "legalize." Prohibitionists throw around the "legalize" term when they are trying to conjure up images of heroin and cocaine in vending machines. Like I said, semantics, but this is a war that is being fought on a semantic level in many respects.
I say legalize it all. And I am a...what was the quote from a year or two ago...oh yeah..."goose stepping" right winger!!!
I think I only pop up in D&D when you have a thread on this subject. I also think "Legalize. All of it." is the only thing I ever contribute. Anyway. Semantics. Whatever. My opinion is that there should be zero laws regarding what I am able to do to my own body. I've never done heroin, for example, and I never would. But I HATE that there is a law telling me that I can't. Of course I don't think drugs should be available in vending machines, but I do think they should have an age-specific limit, be taxed, and be regulated, thus taking the power away from the bad guys/black market. Take the money spent on this idiotic "war" which we are so obviously losing and pump it into treatment centers (mental and chemical), schools, education in general, social programs, roads, the f*cking space program, what have you. Do the same with whatever monies come from taxation and this country will be so much better off. Hell, we'd be so much better off if we'd just open our collective eyes on this matter and stop with the denial. Whether I'm describing legalization or regulation, I'll leave up to you. Land of the Free my ass.
I hated my exp. with wacky tobackky, but it's a lot better than drinking and cigarettes. But nothing compares to god ole crack. Tyrone Biggums.
Is anyone here, actually having problems finding pot OR constantly being arrested for it? I'm just curious.
Never got caught for it, but ya, right now it's like the dry season or something, it's freaking hard to just get an ounce.
To be honest, I would have to ask one of the students at the college where I work if I wanted to find any. Sad that young people can get anything they want while adults cannot.
From friends who are parents, I've heard it is much easier for someone under 21 to buy a bag of weed than it is for them to buy beer in a convenience store. When I was under 21, it was the other way around, but hey Warren G. Harding was President at the time!
This is how it was for me in when I was in Jr. high and high school. Very few people of age were willing to risk buying smokes and booze for us whereas those black market folks I mentioned above had no such scruples. (For reference, I graduated in 1994 and am now 30.)
Harvard did a study in which they found the same thing. Kids have easier access to pot than beer. Sad.
If this is the case, there should be a black market for alcohol, making it as easy to get as pot. The demand for alcohol at the high school level is significantly higher than pot, so if the market is restricting access to the point where a black market (for pot) is more efficient than the regular market (for alcohol), a black market will naturally form for alcohol. So either this study doesn't hold weight, or there's a black market for alcohol. Either way, market economics dictates if there are only illegal means to get pot and both legal and illegal means to get alcohol, alcohol will be more accessible in the long-term. In addition, a black market for alcohol will have fewer entry barriers as the supply can be acquired from the nearest convenience store.
Its not easier. As said, the market is much different. Risk and rewards are very different. There is no money to be made off of alcohol sales, so the risk is high with no reward. If a kid gets busted with a bag of weed, do you think he's going to rat out his dealer? Of course not, he's liable to get shot. Now if the kid gets busted with alcohol, he will give you every detail on the adult he got it from. Adults (over 21) are much less likely to take this risk. Also, people with pot are less likely to get busted simply because they don't act stupid while under the influence.
its pretty easy to understand thats not what he meant. i would assume he meant that its sad that something that the goverment has deemed illegal and have spent enough money on to accomplish so many other great things needed for this country was easier to get then bud bowl beer.
