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Monday, October 19, 2009

Drugs A New High

Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 5:18 PM

The latest Gallup poll on legalizing marijuana records a new high: 44% of Americans back making pot legal while 54% oppose what increasingly looks like an inevitability: "If public support were to continue growing at a rate of 1% to 2% per year, as it has since 2000," writes Gallup, "the majority of Americans could favor legalization of the drug in as little as four years." In one region of the country a clear majority of Americans favors legalization already:

Looks like we're the opinion leaders on this one, kids.

Comments (28) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

so what in the hell do midwesterners have against it to such a degree?

Posted by jw36 on October 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM

Never tried it, but not opposed to its legalization.

Posted by kim in portland

on October 19, 2009 at 5:22 PM

So long as it's treated the same as alcohol and tobacco - in other words, a revenue source for The Stranger and sold to adults, I got no problem with legalization.

Besides, back when I was a kid, you could get beer, wine, cigs and MJ when you were in middle school even if they were supposedly not available, so it's not like legality really changes anything. But it does make for a nice taxable revenue stream.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 19, 2009 at 5:25 PM

The problem with the Midwest is that it's not all Chicago.

Posted by Dan Savage on October 19, 2009 at 5:28 PM

I wonder if there's any corolation to the proximity to Mexico.

Posted by Renton Mike on October 19, 2009 at 5:39 PM

Seriously, @1, go into Google Earth sometime and, starting at Denver, start scrolling due east. You'll get bored long before you hit anything interesting. And that's just on a computer screen. The real thing is far, far worse.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on October 19, 2009 at 5:42 PM

Looks like the West Coast is out of sync with the rest of the county.

Posted by Ziggy Sobotka on October 19, 2009 at 5:44 PM

I'm a little embarassed to be from Iowa right now.

But we still have gay marriage :)

Posted by guy on October 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM

Looks like the very very empty middle of the country should shut their mouth.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM

I don't smoke pot (and actually despise the insipid "pot culture") -- but this is one of the reasons I love living on the west coast.

Posted by emor on October 19, 2009 at 6:10 PM

You can tell from my first post (@1) that I never got around to reading 'What's the Matter with Kansas'...

Posted by jw36 on October 19, 2009 at 6:19 PM

I'm really sad that the midwest is behind the south. :(

Posted by Mike in MO on October 19, 2009 at 6:21 PM

Congratulations, girls!
And the Health Care debate has shown that public opinion is all you need to get something passed, so I'd start planning to be able to legally light up around- oh- the year 2038...

Posted by Never trust a Stoners political Instincts on October 19, 2009 at 6:38 PM

Wow. Public opinion on this issue has almost caught up with where it was in the 1970's

Posted by Hearst DuPont on October 19, 2009 at 7:26 PM

12
don't be sad-
everybody is behind the South.
either you've got the Love of Life in you or you don't-
you can't fake it...

(hipsters wish they were this mellow...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsDa9_HS…

Posted by . on October 19, 2009 at 7:41 PM

And the Senate will probably not support legalization for another hundred years. When it finally happens, "moderates" will demand that some industry - pharmaceutical or tobacco companies, perhaps - get subsidized somehow by the government to provide the legal weed.

Posted by tsuyoshi on October 19, 2009 at 8:07 PM

just legalize it in your mind, and all your troubles float away...

Posted by wilbur@work on October 19, 2009 at 9:05 PM

I am with you, 17. I am with you right now ...

Posted by TheLando on October 19, 2009 at 9:46 PM

Ha! The South isn't the most reactionary in this poll!

Smooches,
A New Orleanian

Posted by alpelican on October 20, 2009 at 4:40 AM

"Looks like we're the opinion leaders on this one, kids."

or maybe you're the only folks who don't get it...

Posted by Some People Don't Need to get Stoned to Cope with Life on October 20, 2009 at 8:16 AM

They will pry my medical marijuana from my cold dead hands.

Posted by meowmeowkitty on October 20, 2009 at 8:50 AM

WEST-SIIIIDE!

Posted by jns on October 20, 2009 at 10:27 AM

@20: No, generally the west coast tends to take the pioneering role in social issues, and the rest of the country more or less follows after.

Prohibition doesn't work. It's high time we start acting like grownups about that.

Posted by Reverend Tap on October 20, 2009 at 10:34 AM

hey dan @4, i'm from madison and it's just as hip and liberal of a town as chicago... or seatle for that matter.

Posted by i'm from the midwest on October 20, 2009 at 11:59 AM

Ha! More evidence for my theory that even the cities in the midwest are politically liberal and socially conservative. I know. I lived through it.

Posted by cedarthvader

on October 20, 2009 at 12:06 PM

Another reason for this might be the pot in the Midwest is god-awful. You'd have a better chance getting high off cow poo than the ditch weed they have there.

Posted by cedarthvader

on October 20, 2009 at 12:14 PM

@26: speaking as somebody from Ohio: Wrong.

Posted by Hydroponics on October 20, 2009 at 1:51 PM

" In one region of the country a clear majority of Americans favors legalization already:"

What is clear is that Dan can't read a poll.

Even in the West the margin of error covers the difference- in other words the results could be that 50% Oppose to 49% Favor.

Posted by Dumb. Ass. math is hard! on October 20, 2009 at 7:11 PM