An unprecedented 50 percent of Americans think it's high time that marijuana should become legal in the United States, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. (AFP Photo) |
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An
unprecedented 50 percent of Americans think it's high time that marijuana
should become legal in the United States, according to a Gallup poll released
Monday.
That's up
from 46 percent from a year ago - and way up from a mere 12 percent in 1969,
when Gallup first asked the question and 84 percent of respondents opposed to
legalization.
"If
this current trend on legalizing marijuana continues, pressure may build to
bring the nation's laws into compliance with the people's wishes," the
pollsters said in a statement.
Support for
legalization was strongest among liberals (69 percent), those aged 18 to 29 (62
percent), and those living in the western United States (55 percent).
Least
likely to support legalization were those over 65 (31 percent), conservatives
(34 percent) and southerners (44 percent).
Gallup
based its findings on telephone interviews on October 6-9 with adults in all 50
states. Samples were weighted by gender, age, race, education and region, with
a maximum margin of error of plus or minus four percent.
On its
website, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
said: "Marijuana legalization is becoming more popular with just about
everyone."
But it said
more political pressure is needed before change can come about.
Last June,
several US members of Congress introduced legislation in Washington to legalize
marijuana nationwide but allow each state to regulate, tax and control the drug
itself.
It was the
first-ever effort to legalize the production and consumption of marijuana at a
national level, although its sponsors acknowledged that it had little chance of
becoming law.
"We
believe the federal government shouldn't be involved with prosecuting adults
smoking marijuana," said Democratic Congressman Barney Frank at the time.
"We don't have enough prosecutors or police officers to do so."
Sixteen
states and the District of Columbia have legalized the production and
consumption of marijuana for medical purposes, while 14 states have
decriminalized small amounts for consumption.
"I
don't expect to pass it in this Congress," Frank said. "But I think
we're making progress. This is an educational process."
Some
850,000 Americans were arrested in 2009 for marijuana--related offenses,
according to FBI figures. Nine out of 10 of those cases were for
possession.
AFP
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