Fifty-four percent of Californians support legalizing marijuana for adults, according to polling data commissioned by the Public Policy Institute of California and released today.
The percentage of respondents agreeing that “the use of marijuana should be legal” increased three percent since 2014. Fifty-four percent is the highest level of support for legalizing cannabis ever reported in a PPIC poll.
Among likely voters, 56 percent favor legalization (versus 41 percent opposed).
Democrats (65 percent), Californians age 18 to 34 (62 percent), Independent voters (61 percent), and whites (60 percent) were most likely to favor legalization. Sixty percent of Latinos and 57 percent of Republicans opposed legalization.
The complete PPIC poll is online here.
California is one of several states where voters are anticipated to decide whether or not to legalize and regulate the use, production, and retail sale of the plant in 2016.
Come on Cali! Legalization there will be a huge boost to our cause. May even be the tipping point.
Let’s go CA, you folks need the tax money more desperately than any other state in the union. Legalize already and let the folks who wish to partake help fund all your poor, huddled, future democrat citizens.
In the states marijuana is legal isn’t it true that no one is safe? Can’t you still lose your job if you fail a drug test at work? So we’re is the feeling of freedom? If I’m wrong please let me know.
[Editor’s note: The legal status of a drug and employment testing, for example, are separate issues as tobacco is legal, but numerous companies and governments now drug test for it.
Ending cannabis prohibition (with its mass arrests, prosecutions and incarcerations) is top priority…advocating for employment policies where the private use of cannabis, like alcohol today, is of no great concern to employers, is the next tier of reforms in future for reformers and civil libertarians.
A change of federal law regarding the legal status of cannabis along with amending (or abolishing) the federal government’s 1988 Drug-Free Workplace Act will likely result in massive reduction in drug testing for cannabis in America.]
That’s right Gene, you piss in the cup ;you’re fired , you refuse to piss in the cup;you’re fired.Has absolutely nothing to do with job performance and reliability.Like I said before ,”it’s the meathook we’re all still impaled on”. We can thank Ronald Reagan for the Drug-Free Workplace Act.Until we get our bodies back we are still sub-human.If you win the lottery and test positive for marijuana you are disqualified for the prize money.
I wonder, if the people (not their supposed elected servants) were allowed to vote on ending prohibition or maintaining it, if there is any state in all of America that would vote to continue with it. Probably not!
If there is one or more states with people that actually want to maintain prohibition, I would further wonder if they really think that long prison sentences are better for the individuals involved (or society at large) than simply getting those few people that have a problem with it medical help.
All these people that talk about how concerned they are about the children need to consider that fact that someday they will grow up to be adults that could have their lives ruined by prohibition. I would not want my kids to be locked up for it!
Good notes from the Editor. Thanks.
California needs to understand what’s at stake so we don’t get lots of people with a marijuana card too content to stay at home during next year’s crucial elections. California is nothing less than the tsunami of marijuana reform that will tip the scales far into the court of changing all the bad laws from the 1988 Drug-Free Workplace Act to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970… And perhaps even some of those little known causes of violence such as the ATF’s exclusive right to disclose the serial tracking numbers of all weapons sold in the United States. We have 45 years of bad laws to tear down this drug-prison-military-industrial-complex. America has finally realized that our dark and infected drug policy is the root cause of so much violence and socioeconomic inequality in our society today and we are collectively saying “enough is enough.”
When California legalizes next year, reform is going to speed up faster than even the NORML Legal team may be prepared for. (NORML hired Danielle not a moment too soon). We better start writing our summary judgements… Because before we know it, we’ll be fixing a Federal annually adjusted-for-inflation marijuana revenue-for-public-education rate… Including continuing cannabis education for our Congressman… And a “higher” education including vocational and technical careers.
Wouldn’t it be great to have cannabis-subsidized medical Universities that brought down the cost of health care permanently?
Why not NORML?
Ok, so 56% in favor. What percent of the vote is required to pass an initiative in CA, and what are there, 4 or 5 initiatives to choose from? I’m not sure how many have qualified for the 2016 ballot, but if its more than two, that spells trouble for legalizing the Herb in Califorina.
Do you homework California, and don’t vote in a crap law.
Can NORML help clarify the different legalization initiatives in California to better inform the voters of the situation out here?
[Paul Armentano responds: 50 percent of the vote + 1 is needed to pass a ballot initiative in California. To date, no initiative in California has qualified for the 2016 ballot and the most likely vehicle has yet to be finalized.]
Gene: You are 100% correct. As long as it is federally illegal, whatever the states decide is meaningless in the big picture.
[Editor’s note: The notion that states legalizing cannabis on their own as being ‘meaningless’ is totally incorrect and without merit. The federal government is comprised of, name of the country is…United STATES of America.
Would the federal government today have nearly 20 reform bills before it without states putting upward political pressure on it by them passing reform laws? No. Will the federal government reform cannabis laws with just four states having legalized? No. Will the federal government literally have to legalize cannabis if a state the size of California votes for such? Yes.
States are the KEY to cannabis legalization nationally. Without their success the federal prohibition will keep lumbering along.]
I certainly hope that California legalizes. That means the entire Western seaboard of the United States has legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. With that it’s hard to imagine Congress continuing to ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room. If they don’t legalize at the federal level or at least leave it up to the states, it’ll be hard to defend the idea that the U.S. is the freest country on the planet. It’ll be time to press for the repeal of that 1988 Drug-Free Workplace Act. I mean, where the hell is the glasnost of the cannabis perestroika? I demand my freedom back, ownership of my own body back, and I want a peace dividend from declaring an end to the war on marijuana.
California getting its freedom could give the legalization movement enough momentum to do it, and if cannabis banking isn’t legal by then it soon ought to be. I’m hoping the feds do something to legalize cannabis banking when Alaska come on line this July. It’s long overdue.
On a different note, I enjoyed Harry Smith’s Dateline Special: Growing Hope. I wish Harry Smith or some other network news report show like 60 Minutes or something not to be outdone would challenge Pennsylvania prohibitionist politician Matt Baker and expose him for the ass he really is. As committee chair, he is single-handedly and knowingly, purposely preventing medical marijuana legislation from getting out of his committee to a full vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
While other news report and investigative television journalist shows are airing reruns in the summer, a special report concerning cannabis is bound to get rating$. Rating$! Kaching! More viewer$ = More ad revenue$!
Democracy is somewhat of an ideal, meaning that the governor should step in and help to legalize weed immediately. Instead, we are tortured for bloody ever with speeches about public risk and responsibility and to endure a lengthy political process called United States. “Liberty and justice for all” doesn’t ring true, Jerry, and it hurts my feelings a lot.
It hurts my feelings a lot too Todd. Doesn’t it say something in the Bible about not lying about your neighbors? I supposed these dirt-bags just tell themselves, “Well sure it is Okay if I lie about Obama, marijuana and marijuana users; none of those types are ‘My Neighbors'”. ‘In fact, just for repeating that Obama is a foreigner, I can be blessed for lying about him.’ Now, these idiots are telling each other that Obama used to be a childhood prostitute that traded sex for cocaine and his education. I literally can’t believe how stupid these folks are. And really, what the hell are they smoking or taking? It is a lot stronger than marijuana!
60% of Latinos oppose legalization ?!
This is terrible.
There needs to be a NORML and MPP website in Spanish to speak to them about the benefits of cannabis freedom and explain the many problems of prohibition.
Lots of Latinos are Catholic, I believe. The Catholic Church is opposed to marijuana. Many of them also suffered (or have families who suffered) under anti-religious totalitarian left-wing regimes (think Cuba) and marijuana is seen as a left-wing issue in the mainstream (which is bs of course, many libertarians also support the cause). Mainstream religion has been a major roadblock to reform. Not PC to say, but it’s true.
The beauty of a democratic society, in theory, is the fact that voices and opinions are heard and considered. But, when people cast votes without being educated on the facts, they destroy the concept of democracy. These polls in America surrounding the legalization of marijuana, in my mind, are completely irrelevant. In America, we should be voting on things that have a direct impact on our individual lives, not whether we feel someone should or should not have the right to be happy in their own homes. What these polls really portray is, half of America feels they have the right to freedom of choice and the other half feels they should have the right to tell others what to do. Anyone who supports the idea of taking away individual rights needs to really reconsider their patriotism. The only complaint from the opposition that may be of any validity, would be the fear of “drugged” driving. So instead of using science to try to prove these horrible side effects that they have been unable to prove thus far, use science to find a way to prove “under the influence”. It seems highly coincidental, with all the amazing scientific breakthroughs, that science has been unable to do this.
By federal law the disability act is not approve so the people with ADHD or have autism or have some type of dingos that regulates under the disability act will go to jail by federal law we found the answer to legalize I personally have Tourette’s syndrome and adhd this mecidine save my life