Pubdate: Thu, 11 Aug 2016
Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR)
Copyright: 2016 The Mail Tribune
Contact:  http://www.mailtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642
Note: Only prints LTEs from within it's circulation area, 200 word count limit
Author: Billy Hallowell, Deseret News

IS THE PRO-POT MOVEMENT'S QUEST FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AT A TIPPING POINT?

Four in 10 Americans now hold mixed views on illegal substances, 
believing hard drugs should stay illegal, but recreational drugs, 
like marijuana, should be allowed, according to a newly released 
Barna Group study.

Despite changes in public perception, an additional 32 percent still 
believe all drugs should be illegal, but it doesn't end there. Beyond 
those paradigms, 13 percent believe all drugs should be legal but 
regulated, with only 3 percent saying that all drugs should be legal 
with no regulation.

Interestingly, more than 1 in 10 people (12 percent) said they don't 
have an opinion on the contentious issue.

Perhaps not too shocking was the finding that 43 percent of 
practicing Christians believe all drugs should be illegal, especially 
considering the moral implications that some see resulting from substance use.

While practicing Christians expressed stronger views on the issue 
than the public, evangelicals, in particular, stand out, with 66 
percent believing all drugs should remain illegal. Juxtapose that 
against the 17 percent of those with no faith who said the same, and 
there are clearly some ideological differences at play.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, only 16 percent of evangelicals 
would legalize recreational drugs compared with 49 percent of those 
with no faith.

A similar dynamic was observed when it comes to political persuasion 
with 51 percent of conservatives believing every drug should be 
illegal, compared with just 17 percent of individuals who are liberal.

"Evangelicals and conservatives ... remain most opposed to legalizing 
any kind of drug," Roxanne Stone, editor-in-chief of Barna, said in a 
statement. "This is certainly true to a religious history of 
abstinence from intoxicating substances."

She continued, "Additionally, much of the 'war on drugs' was framed 
in the context of family values - an ideology that drove much of the 
conservative right for the past 40 years."

In recent years, Americans have become much more accepting of 
marijuana. While only 12 percent favored legalizing the drug in 1969, 
that proportion was at 58 percent in 2015, according to Gallup.

It wasn't until the year 2000 that the percentage of the public who 
favored marijuana legalization hit 31 percent, with support only 
growing over the following years. By 2009, that proportion hit 44 
percent and then 50 percent just two years later, showcasing just how 
stark the trajectory has been.

Changing attitudes are clearly carrying over to public policy. 
Consider that 12 of the 21 states that allow medicinal marijuana have 
passed laws permitting it since 2010.

But it's the debate over recreational marijuana, in particular, that 
is sure to escalate after states like Washington, Colorado, Alaska 
and Oregon successfully took steps to legalize it since 2012.

Those moves, teamed with changing public opinion, are having an 
impact on other states as well, with The Hill reporting this week 
that legalization proponents believe the country is at a "tipping 
point," with nine states planning to have marijuana on their ballots 
in some form this upcoming November.

Recreational use will be on the ballots in California, Maine, 
Arizona, Nevada and Massachusetts, with Florida, Missouri, Montana 
and Arkansas deciding on medicinal marijuana.

According to The Hill, "the ballot measures mean more voters will be 
weighing in on marijuana issues than in any other year in American history."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom