“It remains clear from the limited data available that marijuana seizures and prosecutions remain the primary driver of drug war enforcement in the United States and that hundreds of thousands of Americans still continue to be arrested annually for these violations despite the reality that a majority of voters no longer believe that the adult-use of marijuana should be a crime.”
Regulators and other concerned parties should seek to provide the public with more comprehensive safety information about the effects of more potent products, and they should continue to ensure that legal products do not get diverted to the youth market. Such actions will ultimately be far more productive than calling for a return to the failures of marijuana prohibition.
Specifically, the data identified a 38 percent year-over-year reduction in self-reported marijuana use among eight graders, a 38 percent decline among 10th graders, and a 13 percent decrease among 12th graders.
In response to the public outrage regarding the suspension of American athlete Sha’Carri Richardson for testing positive for cannabis, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that it will be reevaluating its policies.
Of all the policy issues discussed by pollsters, respondents’ support was strongest for legalizing cannabis.
“It is mind-boggling that the federal government is revisiting this half-baked proposal now. The idea of proposing a testing procedure that will inherently deny more people of color opportunities than it would others who have engaged in exactly the same activities is beyond tone deaf and counterproductive.”
“Just as the majority of those who consume alcohol prefer relatively low potency beer or wine over hard liquor, most adult-use cannabis consumers gravitate toward herbal cannabis preparations and away from the comparatively stronger alternatives.”
The increase in seniors’ self-reported use of cannabis coincides with rising public support for marijuana legalization among older Americans.