America Is Clearly Ready to Legalize Marijuana

image
Published: 05 Oct, 2016
2 min read

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that voters in 5 states are leaning toward legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Another big year for pro-legalization advocates could put pressure on the federal government to act, since marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance (i.e. it is still illegal under federal law).

READ MORE: At Least 8 States Will Have Marijuana on the Ballot in November

One poll shows marijuana with the biggest lead in Nevada. According to the latest Suffolk University poll, 57 percent of respondents said they support legalization, while 33 percent oppose it. However, the Post also reports that the Suffolk poll is at odds with a Review-Journal survey that shows just a one point difference between support and opposition.

Support for marijuana legalization has been fairly steady in Maine, where a late September poll suggests that 53 percent of likely voters support legalization, 38 percent oppose it, and 10 percent are undecided. The most recent polling in Massachusetts shows similar numbers, according to a WBZ-UMass survey.

However, support in Massachusetts appears to be trending upward, as a poll from July suggested that 51 percent of likely state voters planned to vote no on legalizing pot.

While one might expect marijuana legalization to be the most popular in a state like California, a SurveyUSA poll taken after the first presidential debate reports that 52 percent of likely state voters support legalization while 41 percent oppose it.

Finally, according to an Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll published in late August, 50 percent of respondents said they would likely vote in favor of marijuana legalization.

While each ballot measure has its own nuances, they all legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Currently 4 states plus the District of Columbia have passed marijuana legalization, and support continues to grow in more states.

According to Time Magazine, marijuana legalization is a huge tax boon in the states that have legalized it. In 2015, Colorado took in $70 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales by the end of the fiscal year that ended on June 30, nearly double the amount the state took in from alcohol sales.

Questions still remain about how the next president will prioritize the discrepancies between individual state drug laws and federal law. President Barack Obama has not done much to stand in the way of states choosing their own path. However, that could change under a new administration.

IVP Donate

Based on what Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein have said, it doesn't seem like any of the four candidates would change course. Further, Gov. Johnson and Dr. Stein support legalization (or decriminalization) at the federal level.

Clinton supports reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule II controlled substance to allow additional research into its medical benefits, while Trump seems to be open to medical marijuana but is hesitant to support full legalization.

Photo Credit: arindambanerjee / Shutterstock.com

You Might Also Like

Trump sitting in the oval office with a piece of paper with a cannabis leaf on his desk.
Is Trump About to Outflank Democrats on Cannabis? Progressives Sound the Alarm
As President Donald Trump signals renewed interest in reclassifying cannabis from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, a policy goal long championed by liberals and libertarians, the reaction among some partisan progressive advocates is not celebration, but concern....
08 Dec, 2025
-
5 min read
Malibu, California.
From the Palisades to Simi Valley, Independent Voters Poised to Decide the Fight to Replace Jacqui Irwin
The coastline that defines California’s mythology begins here. From Malibu’s winding cliffs to the leafy streets of Brentwood and Bel Air, through Topanga Canyon and into the valleys of Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Thousand Oaks, the 42nd Assembly District holds some of the most photographed, most coveted, and most challenged terrain in the state. ...
10 Dec, 2025
-
6 min read
Ranked choice voting
Ranked Choice for Every Voter? New Bill Would Transform Every Congressional Election by 2030
As voters brace for what is expected to be a chaotic and divisive midterm election cycle, U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (Md.), Don Beyer (Va.), and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (Vt.) have re-introduced legislation that would require ranked choice voting (RCV) for all congressional primaries and general elections beginning in 2030....
10 Dec, 2025
-
3 min read