By Claire Bernish
It’s official: more Americans now support the legal, recreational use
of cannabis than those who feel prohibition should continue. In fact,
52 percent of people are in favor of the legalization of marijuana for
“recreational” purposes — and fully 68 percent are in favor of
legalization for medical use.
Performed by Vox in conjunction with Morning Consult, the poll marks a noteworthy shift away from the government’s War on Drugs and marijuana prohibition — largely considered a failed venture by experts, advocates, and observers.
Of the 2,000 registered U.S. voters polled, another telling facet of
arbitrary legality came to light: far more are opposed to legalized
dangerous substances in the form of pharmaceuticals than are opposed to
cannabis.
“[W]hile legal, pharmaceutical versions of methamphetamine
and heroin are two of the most commonly prescribed and abused
substances in the United States, nearly 80 percent of the respondents
said they opposed the medicinal use of these drugs,” High Times’ Mike Adams reported.
Big Pharma’s drugs, in fact, were found by a study in 2014 to kill more people than all illegal drugs — combined.
The
poll also queried specifically whether people support or oppose
decriminalization of various substances, defined as “no arrest, prison
time, or criminal record for the first-time possession of a small
amount.” Wholly 59 percent of respondents affirmed that cannabis users
simply shouldn’t be treated as criminals.
Unfortunately, when it comes to every other substance — even those
with scientifically-proven medical and psychological benefits, like psilocybin — Americans fall harshly on the side of criminal penalties for possession and use.
It seems apparent cannabis maintains the advantage, having been
legalized or decriminalized in varying degrees in a number of states.
Perhaps the myriad economic and medicinal benefits making headlines have
boosted the plant’s reputation in mainstream culture, while the Drug
War’s negative PR effectively clings to similarly harmless substances.
While the U.S. obviously hasn’t come to the consensus necessary to end the War on Drugs as Portugal, Ireland,
and others have done, the new poll echoes similar results — and
evidences the country has, at least, tired of cannabis prohibition.
“La sabiduría de la vida consiste en la eliminación de lo no esencial. En reducir los problemas de la filosofía a unos pocos solamente: el goce del hogar, de la vida, de la naturaleza, de la cultura”. Lin Yutang
Cervantes
Hoy es el día más hermoso de nuestra vida, querido Sancho; los obstáculos más grandes, nuestras propias indecisiones; nuestro enemigo más fuerte, el miedo al poderoso y a nosotros mismos; la cosa más fácil, equivocarnos; la más destructiva, la mentira y el egoísmo; la peor derrota, el desaliento; los defectos más peligrosos, la soberbia y el rencor; las sensaciones más gratas, la buena conciencia, el esfuerzo para ser mejores sin ser perfectos, y sobretodo, la disposición para hacer el bien y combatir la injusticia dondequiera que esté.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Don Quijote de la Mancha.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Don Quijote de la Mancha.