Why Americans are high on Legalizing Marijuana

In what began as a trend in legalizing marijuana in a handful of states for medicinal purposes has grown into a campaign to make it legal for recreational purposes across the nation.  In fact, for the first time in nearly fifty years, 58% of Americans are now in favor of legalizing marijuana according to a recent Gallup poll.  In comparison, over 88% of those surveyed in 1969 were against it.  However, when analyzing consensus demographically support is split between those younger than 65 years of age that want it to be legal and the majority of seniors that are against it.

Marijuana is currently legal for medical purposes in twenty states and the District of Columbia. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize marijuana under strict regulations for recreational use. Although marijuana is still illegal under Federal law, the Department of Justice has decided against challenging state law for the time being since there are strict controls in place to regulate its use.  Also, with increasing support for national legalization, Federal action that challenges state law may simply spur the public into pressuring legislators to ultimately change Federal law.

There are a number of reasons why the support for marijuana is mounting. One is that its perceived toxicity is no greater in comparison to alcohol. As a result, the attitude of people towards marijuana being legalized is changing. Even those who have no opinion about the morality of marijuana use see practical benefits of legalizing the drug. People believe that by legalizing marijuana law enforcement will be able to allocate public tax dollars on tackling more dangerous crimes.

Still, not everyone is convinced.  Discussions on this topic reveals that many Americans do not believe that the status quo is effectively addressing the prime issues that resulted in it being illegal in the first place – one is children’s exposure and the other is public safety.

The recent legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where marijuana is permitted for recreational use, has shown that successful legalization is possible with strict distribution and sale regulations.  This has significantly impacted public opinion.

There are also financial benefits as well.  After a long period of economic uncertainty, states have become desperate for additional tax revenue.  In its first year of legalization, the State of Colorado received more than $220 million in taxes.  By legalizing marijuana, states can levy taxes like they do already with other products like cigarettes and alcohol which could be another revenue source for local and state governments.  The extra funds could be used to benefit state programs.

If the public mood continues, the wave of support for marijuana legalization will continue to grow. It may take a few more years, but it seems more likely than not that Federal law will eventually change.

photo credit: Matthew_Roberts via photopin cc

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