Fifty-three percent of Americans say that the “use of marijuana should be legal,” according to nationwide survey data published today by the Pew Research Center.
“Support for marijuana legalization is rapidly outpacing opposition,” pollsters opined, acknowledging that Americans’ support for legalizing marijuana has risen some 10 percentage points over the past five years. Forty-four percent of respondents oppose legalization in the 2015 poll and three percent are undecided.
The poll is the latest in a series of national surveys showing majority support for legalizing and regulating marijuana.
Millennials (68 percent) are most likely to support legalization while most of those age 70 or older do not (29 percent). Most Republicans (39 percent) and Hispanics (40 percent) also remain opposed to legalizing marijuana.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62 percent) oppose the use of marijuana in public. By contrast, most respondents (57 percent) said that they would not be bothered if a “business selling marijuana” opened in their neighborhood.
Darn right, We want more money more medicare more pot stores. Oops This ain’t the seniors blog. Never mind.
Will the presidential candidates and congress take notice to this?
It needs to be legalized.
“[62 percent] oppose the use of marijuana in public.”
What they oppose is most likely that $IDE $TREAM $MOKE blowing off a H-ot B-urning O-verdose M-onoxide JOINT! It’s been known for decades that $ide$tream contains five times as much monoxide as Main$tream (the part inhaled privately by user only, directly through the $ig or other device). That breathing majority out there is ignorantly blaming the cannabis (which they know the smell of) for the dopy depressive feeling caused by the monoxide (and 4221 other comBustion toxins) that are being served up with it.
A Vaporizer delivers NO $MOKE, a One-Hitter sheds NO $IDE$TREAM!
Eliminating the comBustionary Joint, Blunt, $pliff etc.– every “$moker” $witches to Vapor and/or $ingle Toke– will eliminate this legalistic lahlah about “public use” and one more set of problems and/or quarrels till now blamed on cannabis will vanish into tobaccohistory. (Let’s get busy making, demonstrating, selling, donating the utensils.)
These are amazing times in which we live! I recall talking to fellow babyboomers about legalization years ago, and they were actually against it! I’ve noticed their resistance is crumbling lately. I’ll take it.
And despite such poll numbers for legalization, Barry is in Jamaica giving wishy-washy answers that marijuana can’t be legalized nationally or internationally because it poses the question about legalization of other illegal drugs. Apples and oranges, NORML and MPP are NOT advocating for any drugs other than cannabis. This is a typical prohibitionist stalling tactic of lumping cannabis in with hard drugs/other drugs. Barry mentioned in his answer that there were two states that have legalized: Colorado and Washington state. Somebody needs to bring Barry up to speed because Oregon and Alaska and Washington, DC are also on board with recreational legalization, and that made everything President Obama said after that sound disingenuous.
Here’s the link on CannabisCulture
http://cannabisculture.com/content/2015/04/14/Rasta-Jamaica-Asks-Obama-About-Marijuana
@Oracle
Yeah, Obama’s regurgitated propaganda in Jamaica was another contradiction of prohibition… Especially considering he had just visited the house of Bob Marley, calling himself “a long time fan.” Guess Obama never had a 3’oclock Road Block when he was puffin to Rebel Music…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaa… Rebel Muuuusic..”
But no worries, I believe Democrats have been using a deliberate “stall tactic ” strategy in favor of timely legalization efforts with the least amount of backlash from Congress. Obama doesn’t want to threaten the Carers Act by passing executive action on marijuana scheduling ahead of Congress’ decision.
But an even greater stall tactic is happening with the nomination of Loretta Lynch for Attorney General. Congress has STILL not allowed her replacement of Eric Holder while Judge Mueller’s Judicial Review and decision over the Constitutionality of the scheduling of marijuana is scheduled for tomorrow, April 15th. Part of the reason this is good for legalization is because this provides Holder the opportunity to make one last executive order before leaving office, in response to Mueller’s Judicial Review, allowing Lynch to start off her job without getting prosecuted during confirmation for descheduling, or worse yet, failing to deschedule all together (but that’s not likely with Obama’s greater agenda to reduce disproportionate incarceration of minorities which will encompass the entire C.S.Act, not just descheduling).
Either way, Mueller’s Decision in favor of the Defense should make the Carers Act much easier to pass, regardless of any executive order.
Mentioning Schedule II being the status cocaine is in while marijuana is being discussed to join cocaine from Schedule 1, (the same category as heroin,) would have been a nice response to the President’s rather flippant comments about confusing the scheduling of other drugs in Jamaica.
…”confuse the scheduling?” Right after leaving Marley’s HOUSE Obama? Really? You MUST be playing coy; you KNOW you just got high just from walking through Marley’s herb fields… (Probly snagged some on his jacket… And we don’t blame you if you did…)
…But how much more confusing can our archaic scheduling system be when marijuana is on schedule 1, cocaine is schedule 2 and tobacco and alcohol aren’t even ON the scheduling system?!!! Because THAT?!! THAT is nothing short of GREATEST CONUNDRUM of all human civiliZAtion!. Historians for CENTURIES will be trying to unravel THAT racket… plus, how on God’s Green Earth did someone like Nixon’s drug Czar convince the nation to go tough on crime by allowing the Executive branch of our government write our drug policies? It’s a fine line between fear and stupidity… Our grandchildren will have to keep NORML chapters in legalized societies FOREVER just to PREVENT cannabis prohibition from EVER happening AGAIN.
“Granpa? Were people back then really all that stupid?”
“Oh yes son, Yes they were…”
I think this poll is great. What I can’t figure out is about a week ago we heard that the NIDA revised some pages concerning findings of cannabis killing cancer tumors. Why isn’t this headline news all over the nation and world? And why is cannabis still schedule I after such an announcement? The people must take a stand and end this tragic and embarrassing episode of our history. President Obama, NIDA, DEA, FDA, America, give this plant back to the people where it belongs. Why is it ok for the FDA to grant permission for epidiolex to be tested and bring revenue to pharmaceutical companies but my 20 years of organic home growing isn’t worthy and I still have a chance of being arrested even with my medicinal card? I think home grows would help science, research and rec flourish as long as the plants pass state sanctioned laboritory testing for safety and that way we can get just as much medicine and research out there on top of that the norml grow person can make a living providing medicine/rec to those in need. We the people who know and love this miraculous plant must work diligently to stop the powers that be with BIG money from stealing all the economic benefits trough state and county legislation. This plant is a people plant. How is it possible that the FDA has granted permission and approved the use of parts of the plant for trial tests on subjects, and yet claim it’s not been approved for medicine? The continued lies have to reach and end and it must be now. People wake up and demand our government begin to undue the great injustices perpetuated on the lives of not only Americans but humans in countries across the globe. God speed on this most important issue.
“What they oppose is most likely that $IDE $TREAM $MOKE blowing off a H-ot B-urning O-verdose M-onoxide JOINT! It’s been known for decades that $ide$tream contains five times as much monoxide as Main$tream (the part inhaled privately by user only, directly through the $ig or other device).”
No, no, no, no! Mexweed, you gots to get back up to speed, man! The kids all smoke what are called blunts. Far worst than a joint, this things are made from tobacco leaf and tobacco paper! Every single time they smoke marijuana, they also smoke tobacco.
It is beyond disgusting! I literally hate tobacco and the media has convinced all the kids the blunts are the correct way to smoke marijuana. Blunts smell like shit and the neighbors think they are complaining about the odor of marijuana, but it is really blunt stench.
Tobacco is so damn dirty, you can’t even touch any plants after rolling a blunt or you may kill them with Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Seriously, you can roll a blunt and then kill your marijuana crop simply by touching the plants or being too close while smoking. Who knew the health risks extend to even your house plants?
The most more we learn about tobacco, the more and more disgusting it seems.
I hate bills that allow cannabis to only be vap-orized but not smoked. I want to legally SMOKE cannabis and its concentrates not just vaporize them Until we are able to leghally have cannabis and be able to choose the method of consumption, be it smoking, vaporization, edibles etc. we will not be free. Those who ban smoking the herb but only alloiw vaporizing or edibles unwittingly carry on a part of the drug war. Its time that those who would ban smoking but only allow vaporization get some blowback from those who wish to SMOKE cannabis. I must disagree witjh the implications of your argument mexweed.
Free cannabis, free smoking!
Over the last 5 years, the mood has definitely changed. I remember the old days (I live in AZ and am a card carrier) when I lived in GA and had to either fly to the Dam or risk getting arrested for some local herb.
We definitely need to continue this progress for legalization and I know Norml already puts funds into the campaigns but the next couple of years I feel we all need to make it a point to pressure our candidates, not just for the Senate and Congress but also the upcoming Presidential elections to make it finally an issue. I mean if Alabama (which was worse living in than GA when it came to the risk) is actually trying to put a Medical Marijuana law on the books, then it is the time. Alabama was that last state on the planet I thought would make it this far.
Here’s a link to the bill, we need to encourage all voters in Alabama to have pressure their legislators, if Alabama joins the states that have approved it, the rest will fall 🙂
http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2015RS/PrintFiles/SB326-int.pdf
Just my 2 cents 🙂
i live in Colorado. our crime rates have dropped by half the police can focus on more serious crimes now. and let me tell you Colorado’s economy is on fire what recession is the saying around here. times are a changing weed is really not a big deal anymore there way too many other worse drugs out there now lets be honest.
This poll published yesterday says nearly 70 per cent favor legalization
http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/
This 1500 person survey, published yesterday, states that nearly 70 per cent favor legalization:
http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/
It’s taken this many years because the voting opposition is dieing. The ones brain washed with “just say no” Refer madness are no longer around. The WAR has been won with education, and attrition.
U.S. Patent 6630705, filed 21st April, 1999, assigned to ‘The United States Of America As Represented By The Department Of Health And Human Services’
“Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.
Abstract
Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as **ALZHEIMER’S** disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.” – http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US6630507
British company GW Pharmaceuticals, Patent filed 25th Dec, 2014. (While everyone’s eating Turkey, we’re being treated like turkeys!)
“Patent application title: CANNABINOID-CONTAINING PLANT EXTRACTS AS NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS
[0053] Preferably the neurodegenerative disease is taken from the group: Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Huntington’s disease; frontotemporal dementia; prion disease; Lewy body dementia; progressive supranuclear palsy; vascular dementia; normal pressure hydrocephalus; traumatic spinal cord injury; HIV dementia; alcohol induced neurotoxicity; Down’s syndrome; epilepsy or any other related neurological or psychiatric neurodegenerative disease.
[0054] The cannabinoid-containing plant extracts are used in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical formulation for use in the prevention or treatment of ischemic disease.
[0055] Preferably the ischemic disease is taken from the group: stroke; cardiac ischemia; coronary artery disease; thromboembolism; myocardial infarction or any other ischemic related disease.
[0056] The cannabinoid-containing plant extracts are used in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical formulation for use in the prevention or treatment of brain injury or damage.
[0057] Preferably the brain injury or damage is a traumatic brain injury.
[0058] A traumatic brain injury can include but is not limited to: diffuse axonal injury; concussion; contusion; whiplash or any other traumatic head or brain injury.
[0059] More preferably the brain injury or damage is an acquired brain injury.
[0060] An acquired brain injury can include but is not limited to: stroke; anoxic brain injury; hypoxic brain injury or any other acquired brain injury.
[0061] More preferably the brain injury or damage is a closed head injury or an open head injury or any other head injury.
[0062] The cannabinoid-containing plant extracts are used in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical formulation for use in the prevention or treatment of age related inflammatory or autoimmune disease.
” – http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20140377382
President Obama said he did not think marijuana was much different than the tobacco he has been addicted to most of his adult life.
Engaging in denial ( not recognizing the deadly difference between cannabis and deadly tobacco) is a hallmark symptom of addiction.
Many of our Presidents have been addicted to a variety of drugs.
@Paul Armentano;
Edca@typepad.com is quoting Judge Mueller saying “marijuana motion denied: details later.”
Do I interpret this to mean the Defendant’s motion?
If that is the terrible truth, lay it down straight; is there enough funds and crowdsourcing available for NORML to appeal Pickard’s case?
Whatever the outcome, you did an excellent job on this case and it deserves nothing less than victory in the Supreme Court.
[Paul Armentano responds: There is a detailed update posted on our blog. Defense counsel intends to appeal to the 9th Circuit. The Judge has yet to issue her written ruling, though she acknowledged from the bench that our witnesses were credible which infers that had strict scrutiny been employed rather than rational basis we may have had a different outcome.]
You really have to hate the political machine here in America; supposedly the land of the free. In reality it is rule by the rich and powerful. What else could explain the attitude expressed by our so-called leaders when they continue to ignore science and the will of the people they are supposed to serve?
I think they (the rich and paid off politicians) all know that the average American wants cannabis to be legal and that is precisely why they won’t let us, as a nation, vote on it.
I figure this will eventually change and that this period of American history will, perhaps 50 to 100 years from now will be looked upon as America’s dark ages.
I absolutely refuse to vote for anyone who is not for legalization; or at the very least decriminalization. These draconian laws against cannabis that Nixon served us goes against everything that I consider to be the American ideal.
@Dave, yes you are total right about NA$TY Nicotine Addiction $lave Tobacco Yukarettes, Blunt and $pliff. I saw Europeons roll hashish with tobacco, guess what happened to American kids who tried a “Joint” there. Zap– hooked for life!
The Australian Department of Health issued a document characterizing tobacco-infested Joints as a “Trojan Horse” luring children into nicotine $lavery. Currently possibly 20 million young persons a year get addicted to $igarettes– maybe a million or two of those from $pliff “mix-use”?
I think confessions will emerge from a vault somewhere that $igarette company agents funneled money to promoters since the 90’s to put wRap artists on the bill who would mention wRAPping a “Blunt” in their wRap song lyrics (Freud hint hint).
Worse than regular Joints, too, because waste/burn more herb, youngsters are taught it’s heroic to wRap & cremate a whole gram compared to Usual overdose 500-mg Joint (and 25-mg single toke screenload that you can Vape in a flexdrawtube one-hitter).
@Wade– compromise– with a flexdrawtube one-hitter you can hold the flame away long enough to heat/vaporize 19 seconds, well maybe 10 seconds, then move a little closer and glow the smoke-tasty cellulose which remains after you rescued the vapors. Then put on your breathbonnet (breadbag) and rebreathe 30 warm wet W’s in honour of the Dawgwagner.
…”may have had a different outcome” – P.A.
In this case ,”may” carries the weight of two dead flies?
Keep tilting at windmills?…will work as well as attempting to repeatedly break through a brick wall with your skull?
At least the Attorneys were well paid!
…”though she acknowledged from the bench that our witnesses were credible which infers that had strict scrutiny been employed rather than rational basis we may have had a different outcome” – P.A.
Don’t forget… If ifs and buts were candies and nuts…We’ed have a Christmas Party”!
Tilting…tilting…Tilt!
Everyone turn around and look backwards to our Future?
What else could explain the attitude expressed by our so-called leaders when they continue to ignore science and the will of the people they are supposed to serve? – Miles
It’s called greed based tyranny.
The only solution is to vote every paid stooge out of office …then close the…”Office of Capitalism”?
Who cares what mere mortals want.We have to look at the bigger picture,the overall scheme…
Marijuana is bad–Prisons are good.
repeat ten times: Marijuana is bad–Prisons are good.
repeat ten times: Left is Right and Right is Left.
repeat ten times: God is Satan and Satan is God.
Good,now be obedient sheep and manufacture us some more children,we need new DNA for the machine,new blood sacrifices for our perpetual wars.
The New World Order has already been designed and formulated for you’re convenience,and is being carried out through it’s logical and progressive stages.Sorry,to late,to put up with this marijuana legislation nonsense.
But it was a good attempt for democracy and freedom.Where beyond that level now,soon after our next “crisis” takes place,mandatory microchip implants will be on the horizon.
A New Dawn awaits us all.
Sardonic, you got one little part wrong.
“repeat ten times: God is Satan and Satan is God.”
No, it is “Money is God and God is Money.”
That isn’t actually what NWO means, it means governments are supposed to listen to people, not ignore them. We never did get a New World Order, it is just the same tired crap.
With all due respects -I recognize that in your heart you are a genuine fighter for cannabis liberation- mexweed I will not compromise when it comes to the question of liberty. While I might once or twice experiment with vaporization just to see what it is like i generally speaking do not vape my flowers or concentrates. As for other people any law legalizing cannabis should allow all people to freely choose between vaporizing, smoking or eating edibles as a means of consuming cannabis. I simply prefer smoking to vaporizing and I am hostile to any law that says that I cannot smoke but can only vaporize cannabis. Although you might find my personal choices repugnant the fact is that smoking a blunt is my favorite way of consuming cannabis. I also smoke tobacco just by itself. These are personal choices I make for myself and nobody has the right to legislate or bully me into only selecting a means of consumption that while it is occasionaly acceptable is not my day to day personal choice. I think however we should all work together to legalize cannabis and its concentrates no matter what we prefer our consumption technique to be.
Truth: The devil hates Cannabis because God made Cannabis as a special showing of His love for all of mankind. That is why these ridiculous, easy to see through, lies continue to persist as paper thin excuses for controlling the basic rights of normal intelligent people who realize a good thing and wish to partake in it. The devil hates us and lies are his greatest power because at the very least they cause us confusion. Genesis 1:29 Give thanks!
Ha! The time of my post and the Bible verse I quoted are the same! I didn’t plan that! Has got to be Divine Expression. Don’t give up the fight. Truth will not be denied much longer.
The presidential race will show that the executive office is purchased, not earned.
Don’t forget voting got us exactly where we are today…and voting will save the day?
For some reason, the name Ponzi comes to mind?
Trickle down my back wasn’t gentle rain?
Austerity is a word everyone knows but will soon feel?…no matter who is placed in The White House?
@Bogle, you can make an el cheapo flexdrawtube one-hitter out of some #40 screen and, yes, $1.29 worth of litter lyin’ around in your garage. As for “devil” that is just another name for “doobie” (h-ot b-urning o-verdose m-onoxide papers).
@Eric, austerity aint all bad, after the GPC Glorious Price Crash riefer will teach everyone how to live (and perform) gloriously on a fraction as much money and bureaucracy.
@Wade, 19 seconds vape, 5 seconds smoke (with the flexdrawtube one-hitter), and 24 LEAP (long-term episodic associative performance) memories per minute (“blackbirds singin’ in the dead of night”) will pop up out of your DUF Dynamic Unconscious (Freud, not fraud), providing you with glorious handwork to do instead of having to (h)arm yourself with wakeful alertness drug nicotine to face down obsolete bullycrats.
Dave Evans, I agree with your point about God and Money. Satan has nothing on Money as far as evil.
Mexweed, austerity ain’t all that bad? Tell that to the senior who relies on SS to pay for his rent and food. (Of course, I could be misinterpreting your meaning of austerity, and, if so, my apologies.)
This is SO disheartening…. when are all of these “reefer madness” era judges and politicians going to retire so that people in the know and/or who are willing to listen to the positive side of the topic of Marijuana, its effects, and its medicinal qualities can take over and do the right thing? Just sayin’… Sorry, but I am angry.
mexweed…Huh? Nevermind, I think you are too highbrow for me. As for the doobie devil I prefer a water pipe, ice cold.
Dave Evans Says:
“Sardonic, you got one little part wrong.
“repeat ten times: God is Satan and Satan is God.”
No, it is “Money is God and God is Money.”
Sweet,I like that, you get 50% of the copyrights!.
@Eric, austerity aint all bad, after the GPC Glorious Price Crash riefer will teach everyone how to live (and perform) gloriously on a fraction as much money and bureaucracy.- mexweed
Could you expand on that a little more?
The effects of Austerity (actually a false description of punishing the poor for the criminal excesses of the Rich Rulers) can be seen where this “tactic’ has been applied…Worldwide… with increasingly disastrous consequences.
Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus
@Eric, I’ll rephrase it: all autsterity aint bad. Resisting huckster propaganda (both mental and physical) that tricks you into wasting your money is the good kind! Requiem High Corn Sugar products (pop etc.) dumm down your budgetary good sense and fuel spending binges (my-money mania).
“Good austerity” to me means the Voluntary Poverty that goes with doing the work I care about even if nobody is smart enough yet to pay me a fair wage for doing it. (As we see, that may be changing, “Green Rush” etc.) Voluntary poverty might include not being afraid to salvage and eat good stuff which someone stupidly threw in the garbage even while Cleanliness Bigots jeer at you for doing so.
Today’s USA puni$hment obsession is a survival of historic USA $lavery which was always based on puni$hment. Back in the day Negro $laves were punished for not obeying, today nicotine $laves are punished (by “withdrawal symptoms”) for not having another $igarette soon enough. Once $laves were puni$hed extra hard for trying to escape, today cannabis users are punished extra hard (for trying to $moke without buying tobacckgo, get it?). Maximum penalty was for helping a $lave escape, today for “dealing” cannabis (to would-be “escapees” from the highprofit habitualistic drugs).
Stand with Rand in 2016 and it’s likely to get done.