It is a common lament these days that we seem a hopelessly divided country on virtual every major issue from immigration to health care to climate change. The exception appears to be marijuana. Not only are record numbers of citizens reporting that they use pot, but a new Gallup poll puts support for legalization at 58%. That is up seven points from just one year ago. In addition to the public support, there appears increasing investments and tax revenues associated with marijuana sales. That combination could make it difficult for Congress or the next Administration to reverse this trend toward legalization.
Notably, according to another study, the number of adults who said that they have used marijuana sometime in the past year has doubled in the past decade. The number of Americans reporting the use of pot has grown to 9.5% of adults in 2013 as compared to 4.1% in 2001. With one out of ten citizens using pot, a renewed crackdown would face prohibition type opposition. The biggest increases came in the South and among women, African-Americans, and the middle-aged. The results are reported in a study in JAMA Psychiatry.
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of medical marijuana use. The most interesting trend however is Alaska, Colorado, Washington and Oregon and the District of Columbia which have also legalized recreational use. California could follow suit and add a huge population under the legalization category.
With the rise of both marijuana use and public support growing, this could make for a precarious political issue for politicians in a presidential election year. Forget about the chicken in every pot, these citizens just want the pot.
Source: USA TodayPot