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A narrow majority of registered voters in Colorado think marijuana should be legal according to the latest Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll and the voters of the state may soon have a chance to make that a reality. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol is currently gathering signatures to put a marijuana legalization measure on the ballot in 2012. From the Poll:
Do you think marijuana usage should be legal or illegal?
Legal ………… 51%
Illegal………… 38%
Not sure ……. 11%
Not surprisingly the break down of support for legalizing the use of marijuana in Colorado is nearly identical to the patterns we have seen nationally. Support for legalizing the usage of marijuana is strongest among very liberal voters (82%), Democrats (65%) and voters under 30 (71%). While the least amount of support comes from very conservative voters (28%), Republicans (31%) and senior citizens (36%).
One very interesting piece of information from the cross tabs is that individuals who voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election overwhelmingly think marijuana should be legal by a margin of 68 percent legal – 21 percent illegal. In Colorado, at least, President Obama’s stance on both recreational and medicinal marijuana use is radically out of line with his base.
Although majority support for marijuana legalization is a good sign for this Colorado campaign, it should be noted that in 2010 the California marijuana legalization measure, Proposition 19, was ahead in early polling but ended up losing narrowly on election day. This Colorado effort should be in slightly better shape than Prop 19 was because they are trying to put the issue on the ballot in a Presidential Election year. Presidential elections tend to see much higher turn out among young voters who strongly support legalization.
13 Comments
11% undecided.. a critical group to focus on.
In order to influence this group it might be useful to make the blatant and extreme injustices of current policy the primary issue.
The story of Patricia Spottedcrow, doing 12 years of Federal time for selling 31 dollars of pot, is something that might convince the undecided that a change is needed.
They won’t think that after gazillions of right-wing dollars tell them that’s not what they’re supposed to think.
But, but who will fill up the Colorado private prisons now?
But, will they remember to vote?
If they don’t remember, they won’t care. :)
LOL.
My friend Bill Champlin (28 yrs lead singer with Chicago) likes to say of his stoner days with his legendary (to some of us) SF hippie band The Sons of Champlin, “every time opportunity knocked, we answered the phone.”
Unfortunately what matters is who shows up on election day. Seniors show up without fail, while younger folks don’t. Given how this question skews with age, 51% isn’t nearly enough.
I am an anomaly. 69yrs..I have a permit in my state. I would really like to say that no one has the right to tell you whether you can or cannot ingest whatever plant substance you choose…it say so in the bible these people thump all day.
I know I sound like an asshole but I have been smoking more or less all my life legal or not. No one has the right to tell one what they can or cannot eat or smoke.
I realize they send people to prison for this so caution is advisable. If everybody light up they could not stop us. Just like all the financial, politcal bullshit across the world, all the injustice, and I am thinking specifically of Somalia where no one who could really affect a change is doing jack shit. . If we all stood up and said no more they would not be able to continue their rape of humanity.
If Obummer wins again, I’m going to need a couple of 50lb baggies to help me forget the next four years.
call me lol
Jon
I meant no disrespect for all your work with my comments, it is just how I feel. To someone serving big prison time for this is no joke. I can’t wrap my mind around the oppression of such a harmless beneficial substance.
If I seemed rude I apologize, I am just chagrined..make that pissed, that they do this to people.
Makes one disgusted with humanity.
It’s just a matter of time. Five years, ten years, one day 2/3 of people will think it should be legalized and the first pol to campaign on it will get elected.
If only they could stay sober long enough to vote…. :(