A new survey released recently reveals that a
majority of American parents support medical marijuana legalization, and nearly
half support legalization for recreational use.
Perhaps more surprising is the unexpected author of
the study: The
Partnership at Drugfree.org, one of the harshest critics of
drug use in the nation.
In the survey, titled "Marijuana: It's Legal, Now What?"
the Partnership addresses the growing acceptance of marijuana in the country.
"With marijuana now legal for recreational use
in Colorado and Washington State, for medical use in 18 states and the District
of Columbia, and effectively decriminalized in 14 states, it's clear that
society's approach to marijuana is changing dramatically," the authors
wrote.
Seventy percent of respondents said they favor
medical marijuana legalization, 52 percent favor marijuana decriminalization
and 42 percent favor legalization for recreational use. The Partnership
interviewed 1,603 adults, 1,200 of whom were parents of children ages 10 to 19.
Interestingly, support for each of the three
legalization scenarios -- medical legalization, decriminalization and
legalization for recreational use –- increased by anywhere from 3 to 11
percentage points when respondents were provided with more details explaining
the meaning of each one.
While the survey may be seen as a sign that the
Partnership is becoming a more progressive organization, some marijuana
supporters view the move as a begrudging acceptance of an inevitable situation.
"This is a classic repositioning move from
advocates who know they've badly lost an argument with the American
people," Tom Angell, founder and chairman of the marijuana reform
organization Marijuana
Majority, said in an email. "It's great to see the
Partnership conceding that marijuana legalization is no longer a matter of if
and that the key question now is how marijuana will be regulated in the
post-prohibition era."
Despite the growing acceptance of marijuana use in
the nation, there was one area that did not see support from survey
respondents: teen use. For example, in Colorado, where recreational marijuana
is legal, 85 percent of parents surveyed agreed that marijuana can have
negative consequences on teen development.
Angell argued that if more people supported
legalization, marijuana would be regulated in a safe and efficient way.
"A clear and growing majority of Americans support
marijuana reform," he said. "I welcome those who unsuccessfully tried
to stand in the way of progress to now do the mature, responsible thing by
coming to the table to help craft regulations that will keep young people safer
than prohibition ever could."
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