Nearly nine out of ten Americans — including 80 percent of self-identified Republicans — now say that marijuana should be legal if its use is permitted by a physician, according to nationwide Fox News telephone poll of 1,010 registered voters. The poll, released today, was conducted by under the direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) and possesses margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points.
According to the poll, 85 percent of voters agree that adults ought to be allowed to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes if a physician authorizes it. The total marked an increase in support of four percent since Fox last polled the question in 2010 and is the highest level of public support for the issue ever reported in a scientific poll.
Although respondents were divided on whether they believed that “most people who smoke medical marijuana truly need it,” the overwhelming majority of voters nonetheless agreed that consuming the plant should be legal if a doctor permits it.
To date, eighteen states and Washington, DC have enacted laws authorizing the physician-supervised use of cannabis therapy. Medical cannabis legalization measures are presently pending in a number of additional state legislatures, including Illinois, New Hampshire, and New York.
Voters in the Fox News poll were less supportive of the notion of legalizing the non-medical consumption of marijuana. The poll reported that only 46 percent of voters favored broader legalization, while 49 percent of respondents opposed the idea. Self-identified Democrats (57 percent) were far more likely to support legalizing cannabis than Republicans (33 percent) or Independents (47 percent). Men (51 percent) were more likely to support legalization than were women (41 percent). Those age 35 or under were most likely (62 percent) to back legalization while those age 65 and older were least likely (31 percent) to be supportive.
By contrast, in recent months national polls by The Pew Research Center, YouGov.com, Quinnipiac University, and Public Policy Polling have reported majority public support for legalizing and regulating the adult use of cannabis.
Despite the overwhelming public support for medical marijuana law reform, legislation in Congress to amend federal law to allow for its use it states which permit it — House Bill 689, the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act — only possess 16 co-sponsors (less than four percent of the entire US House of Representatives). The bill has been referred to both the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health and to the House Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations — neither of which have scheduled the bill for a public hearing.
Why are facts subject to polling? Cannabis is safe medicine. science > opinion. I understand we’re finally winning, but why can’t facts win just by being true?
If 55% of Americans believe the moon is made of cheese it doesn’t make it an actual possibility! So frustrating!
so, Uncle Sam,
stop farking around and legalize it.
Also, fix it so employers cannot hassle employees for utilizing it-
and stop with the laws limiting its partakers rights.
I thought I misread the headline the first time. Fox News just didn’t register.
What are the percentages for Fox News viewers in favor of MMJ, full legalization?
Is the respective percentage a small part of self-identified Republicans, very vocal and driving the majority of their party, directing the Nitschean herd?
You got a list of all 50 U.S. states plus all U.S. territories (D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, you name it) for how much money they could save and make for legal MMJ? Off of full legalization? Rough estimates are fine. A great bookmarker for Congressional staffers and the congressperson, with all the binders they have to sift through.
I just don’t see that money carrot being dangled out there in front of Fox News viewers right now. Even if they bitch about it because their viewers are apt to disagree it’s publicity that is also giving them information to persuade them ($ saved & revenue estimates by state/territory). Picture this: O’Reilly is drooling and disagreeing with hot marijuana milfs. Yes, milfs because that’s what you see on Fox News a lot. A whole lot. Showing leg. Give ’em what they want. Ratings. Think ratings!
[Paul Armentano responds: Fox simply commissioned the poll; they did not conduct it. Also, it was not a poll of Fox News viewers. It was a scientific poll among a random national sample of 1,010 registered voters. In fact, of those polled, 42% were self-identified Democrats and 38% were Republicans.
For references regarding taxation and lost revenue, see: http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/29/marijuana-laws-work-biz-cx_qh_1001pot.html.%5D
Its all back fill
as the older folks fade away the youngers that fill in have a clear and truthful knowledge of our flower
Sad is that the brain washed could have had a better life
and/or healthier one.
Its all back fill
as the older folks fade away the youngers that fill in have a clear and truthful knowledge of our flower
Sad is that the brain washed could have had a better life
and/or a healthier one.
Meanwhile Megan Kelly stays high.
I’m beginning to think that Prez is gonna punt this issue to his successor. It will be a hot issue in 2016, count on that. Christie would get it done. I don’t know about Hillary or any of the rest. Big business is looking at the potential windfall. Even broad mmj would be a tremendous help.
At the heart of this tragic irony is Michelle Leonhart, Director of the DEA, our Tragic Heroine, whose hubris and hamartia was her testimony that “marijuana is not a medicine.” Please sign my petition at the white house “we the people,” site to eliminate the ability for any executive agency to legislate. Cops should not write law. Cops writing marijuana law is the climax of our tragic irony under the Controlled Substance Act.
Asset forfeiture.
Funds to deny that marijuana is a medicine.
There is a reason we have three brances of government. Corrupt amendments like these and more are in the C.S. Act and we must stand together to end this violation of our freedom. Here is the link:
http://wh.gov/tdk1
End prohibition: End Cops writing law.
Fuck a physician. Legalize it for adult use and piss off…
“Fair and balanced” is just a slogan at Fox News. During the month I watched, I expected them to be at least as good as the “main stream media” they deride. They were NOT.
(They are STILL denying anthropogenic climate change!)
Is anyone surprised their poll numbers against recreational herb use vary from today’s norm as seen in multiple other polls?
—
Also, the State’s Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations!!??. What a joke!
There no way. Dont u pot head know that if u smoke a joint the marijunan booge man going to come in your room and yank your dank off
And it a fact pot is a gate way drug. I know The Dare offcer told me so
I believe that the entire US House of Representative’s collective IQ is less than 4% that of the average cannabis consumer!
I agree with another poster who called them a bunch of overpaid jerks! They’re completely out of touch with reality and don’t seem to care about the will of the people they are supposed to be serving. If it was up to me, I’d throw about 98% of them out and start all over again. Also, I would throw them out without any of them received the lifetime benefits they have given themselves at the taxpayers expense.
IMedical marijuana should be priority #1.As long as the DEA continues to say marijuana has no accepted medical use doctors cannot prescribe marijuana because they could lose their license to practice medicine.
This article makes me wish Fox News was credible… but I couldn’t agree more with it.
Stop blaming the Republicans. I am closest to Libertarian and vote Republican mostly. But I no longer will be voting for anyone opposed to medical Marijuana at any level. It sounds like middle aged women and the elderly are the most anti-pot. For the women it is moms being moms, worried about it getting into the kid’s hands. Even though it is easier for a teenager to get than alcohol. For the elderly they are still scared to death from the Reefer Madness propaganda they grew up with. They will in time die off and in the meantime the laws will get more and more supportive of our cause. Like Colorado, it will start out with medical and recreational will follow. In the meantime, just break the law if you must and use the plant. I know, it sucks being a lawbreaker, but when the law is wrong we sometimes have to break it.
One of the arguments against legalization of marijuana is that people have become desensitized to it over the years. I decided to take a look at if this argument was valid, by testing it against the television show Weeds. Weeds is the story of Nancy Botwin a suburban soccer mom from California who has to turn to selling pot to maintain her lavish lifestyle after her husband dies of a heart attack. I wanted to see if watching the program Weeds which displays marijuana in a positive light, effected someone’s view on the legalization of marijuana.
I performed two focus groups, each of four different university of tampa students. From my research I discovered that watching the show Weeds did not have an impact over anyones opinion of legalization of marijuana. Out of the eight people tested all of the participants agreed that marijuana should be legalized.
Based on the results of the research it would suggest that watching programing involving marijuana doesn’t effect an individuals response to it either way. This means that if public opinion of marijuana is changing it is not coming from Weeds. Those in the district of Columbia may not be listening to the voice of the American people, though it is the voice of America that they are ignoring.
Other Highlights from the Study include:
All candidates knew at least 1 person who smoked.
No candidate would sell marijuana even if it was legal.
Most candidates want legalization for their friends and not themselves.
To read the full research http://goo.gl/I4hrz.
So….. Are we a democracy?
@ Julian: Cops enfoce laws. As it stands right now MJ use is against the law. Most cops are against prohibition, but won’t talk because they want promotions. Better tow the line.
@ Scott: I agree with you. Can’t wait for old farts that subscribe to “Refeer Madness” to DIE.
yes they should legalize it after all it was here before man was it even states in the Bible all fruit trees are left for man
I contend that the 1930s propaganda film Reefer Madness quietly influenced the views of a whole generation of Americans towards marijuana. The film strongly promoted the idea that if a person used or tried marijuana even once they would be hooked on it and that it was highly addictive. This has caused society to both fear and view marijuana as a gateway drug that leads to a path of even worse and move dangerous drugs. As a result we have generated laws throwing a large number of people that have cultivated, sold, possessed and even used marijuana into prison. Foe more on this subject see the post below,
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2013/12/reefer-madness.html