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. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that the percentage of the public who favored marijuana legalization hit 31 percent, with support only
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.
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.
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.
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.
