Gallup: Majority of Americans back pot legalization

This is, I think, one of the more dramatic reversals of public opinion of the past 30 years.

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As Gallup notes, this is the first year in which a majority of Americans polled say they support legalization of marijuana, and the clear trend line suggests that majority is likely to grow. The realities of life offer further reason to think that trend will continue. Support for legalization is lowest among those 65 and older, and highest among those ages 18-29.

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Not surprisingly, Southern Republican conservatives older than 65 are least likely to support legalization. But even among that subgroup, it looks as though roughly a third or more think marijuana should be legal. That’s roughly the same level of support that existed in the nation as a whole just a decade ago.

I’m at a loss to explain that sudden shift in sentiment, because I have no idea what outside force might be driving it. It is, you might say, a homegrown movement.

– Jay Bookman

866 comments Add your comment

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:29 pm

I’s for healthcare reform before healthcare reform was cool!

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
8:31 pm

Winners win.

moonbat betty

October 18th, 2011
8:32 pm

Obama will continue to argue himself on the taxpayer dime.

If it doesn’t work out in ‘12, there’s always mayor of Chicago.

Frankly, I’m surprised Michelle allows him to run again in ‘12.

She should drop the child obesity schtick and go with the “legalize it” mantra

Birds eat it. And they love it!

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
8:34 pm

Were the GOP candidates informed ahead of time that the casino staff are all unionized illegal immigrants. This could get interesting.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:35 pm

Michele, the only thing you’re gonna win is a foot-long corn dog.

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
8:37 pm

If there’s one thing America can’t stand, it’s commies.

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
8:41 pm

Americans are winners. And we don’t like slow growth and crummy employment.

Obama needs to git’er done. But it’s gonna take somebody new. Someone who likes to go fast.

Joe COOL

October 18th, 2011
8:42 pm

Rick Perry change the WHOLE dayum subject didnt he..lol

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:42 pm

Rick done took his testosterone shot tonight!

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:46 pm

Kinda like one of them “bug-zapper” thingies. You know?

bman

October 18th, 2011
8:48 pm

Rick Perry is done.

Joe COOL

October 18th, 2011
8:49 pm

WOW…did she just blame the Prez and call out the Prez family who are illegally here?

1811/0311

October 18th, 2011
8:49 pm

josef:

“SWAP: 1,027 PALESTINIANS FOR 1 ISRAELI…”

That’s about right …………………..

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:50 pm

‘At’s rot! Ever body needs to spake English! Not some furin language!

1811/0311

October 18th, 2011
8:50 pm

“Headline” : “Senators urge MLB to ban tobacco products during World Series, in effort to fight growing use among youths”

BUT POT IS O.K.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:51 pm

It would be lot’s easier to build a fence around employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:52 pm

Rick done got booed! This ain’t going so well for ol’ Rick!

Joe COOL

October 18th, 2011
8:55 pm

lol…Nobody applauded the Latino guys question. Poor guy, when will he get it through his head that words like Latino, Hispanic means ILLEGAL regardless of citizen or not.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
8:55 pm

Personally I don’t care one way or another about this issue. Go ahead and legalize it to take out the criminal element and use the tax proceeds to rehab programs for drug and alcohol addicts. But I think we all know that instead of that happening what we will probably see is America becoming even more mired in moral decline and lazier and fatter and the tax money taken from pot sales will just get squandered by the politicians rather than being put back into rehab programs. Just more money for the pols to blow on failed socialist policies. In other news Obama’s assault on America continues but at this point its now barely a year before we can stop his war against the nation dead in its tracks.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:56 pm

Everybody just needs to open a Godfather’s Pizza joint!

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
8:57 pm

Barack Obama is a fraud.

He really should probably be undermined and ushered off to that graveyard of single-term presidents.

He clearly deserves it.

What a fraud.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
8:58 pm

I think we have a handle hijacker here!

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
8:58 pm

“when will he get it through his head that words like Latino, Hispanic means ILLEGAL regardless of citizen or not.”

Perhaps some people think in that ignorant fashion. Most don’t

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:00 pm

Tell it! Ron!

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:00 pm

The sooner that progressive forces in this country can dump Barack Obama like a bad habit — and I mean do it yesterday — the sooner it will have a chance to climb out of the giant hole this fraud has dug for it. There’s no way to overestimate what an Orwellian joke he is.

I think even Romney would be better than this fraud.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:01 pm

Strawman: Yes, it would likely kill the individual. So, that being the case, should it be legal (or moral) to sell it to another person (I mean, because it’s just a plant, right)?

Because that is equatable to pot, since pot KILLS you if you smoke it?

No, you shouldn’t be allowed to knowingly sell, or buy, a prepared set of poison ivy leaves to smoke if it does indeed kill you when you smoke it. As such, pot SHOULD be sold, since it is not something that kills you (in fact, it has positive medical properties).

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:02 pm

Evening folks. Sorry, got a little excited there.

Guess you can tell what my opinion of the man from no-Hope is.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:02 pm

I think TruthBe doesn’t tell the truth because he doesn’t really believe there is any such thing.

Hint: TruthBe, you’re NOT telling the truth when you express opinions. It’s just opinion.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:02 pm

Scout: but by their chosen representatives after due deliberation and after ultimately the Supreme Court has made their decision.

I am not seeing any deliberations or court cases on this matter.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:03 pm

BTW Scout….

HEADLINE: Man Killed to Death

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:03 pm

Welcome to the occupation: I don’t who you are, but no one believes you and WTTO. Why would you steal someone’s handle?

1811/0311

October 18th, 2011
9:04 pm

HEADLINE: “President Obama has taken nearly every opportunity lately to express support for the “Occupy Wall Street” protesters, but he failed to meet with some of the activists when he had the chance on his southern bus trip.”

Hummmmm ………….. speak with fork-ed tongue ?

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:04 pm

1811

1027 Palestinians all to get 1 Israeli soldier back. That pretty much sums up the decency and humanity of the Israelis and the glaring lack of decency and respect for human life of the Muslims.

Incidentally anyone notice how lilly white with multitudes of young 20 something year old men the OWS crowds are? Are they racist like the also mostly white tea party? Judging by all the viscious anti Jewish bigoted comments about Zionist bankers and Jews running the banks and wall street and ruining the nation I would say this is about as bigoted a group of protesters as Ive ever seen. Many in that group have no problem blaming the Jews for the wall st mess. You know its a bigoted movement when all the anti semitism starts boiling up.

1811/0311

October 18th, 2011
9:05 pm

Adam:

That’s cause it’s already been decided.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 18th, 2011
9:06 pm

Did all the clowns say no energy subsidies? Are they advocating for removal of oil subsidies or is that an “exception”? :roll:

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:08 pm

Yep, here we go. It’s gut check time for the Democratic party. The big whigs are in a Texas-sized tizzy over even the Dems’ lukewarm embrace of OWS. Here’s the stooge Schoen writing in the Wall Street Urinal today:

Thus Occupy Wall Street is a group of engaged progressives who are disillusioned with the capitalist system and have a distinct activist orientation. Among the general public, by contrast, 41% of Americans self-identify as conservative, 36% as moderate, and only 21% as liberal. That’s why the Obama-Pelosi embrace of the movement could prove catastrophic for their party.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576637082965745362.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:08 pm

Apparently we have a handle hijacker. But judging from his comments it looks like he has a handle on the truth.

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
9:08 pm

Trotsky is disappointed with Obama

So sad. It will get better. Romney is good. He wants to go fast.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:08 pm

How can I serve my corporate masters and still convince the public that “I’m doing something for them.”

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:09 pm

Scout: I love it. Your head is going to explode so many times over during the next few decades, and I can’t wait to see it each and every time.

Pot will be legalized, the health care law will be declared constitutional, Citizens United will be overturned, homosexuals will gain equal rights, and progress will be made despite your efforts and the efforts of those like you to repeal the 20th century.

Have fun living in the future.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:10 pm

RickyB: have you ever thought about getting some professional help?

Don't Forget

October 18th, 2011
9:10 pm

Trotsky knows a lot about frauds, knows it first hand.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:10 pm

WTTO: That’s why the Obama-Pelosi embrace of the movement could prove catastrophic for their party.

I don’t think so.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 18th, 2011
9:11 pm

And Doom posts again without facts. OWS is “bigoted” but Tea Party only has a few “racist” members. Accepting the claim (for argument purposes, not as reality), all of OWS is bad but not all of the Tea Party despite proven leadership by racists is still okay with Doomy.

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
9:12 pm

Sooth. Only after I was on fire. My friends and my daddy helped. A lot.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:14 pm

1811,

Obama may have failed to meet with the wall st occupy kooks but in a show of solidarity Obama pooped on a cop car and peed on the sidewalk. It was his way of giving a shout out of support to the kook occupyers.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:14 pm

Scout and Del and USMC and Kayaker71 and others on this blog rail against “socialism,” yet they can’t wait for that pension check to arrive each month. They put in 20 years “on the job” in the military and get a guaranteed income for life. Not just theirs but the surviving wives as well. And they’re sure glad they have that government-provided healthcare for life. All on my dime.

Kinda like those evil, greedy unions would like to secure for American workers. Imagine their reaction to American workers working for 20 years on the job and getting a secure pension for life and excellent healthcare.

Kinda nice to be a socialist isn’t it, fellas?

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:16 pm

Ricky,

Don’t worry about Sooth acting like he is the sane one. Wait until you see his 9-11 Powerpoint presentation.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:17 pm

Just 13 more days ’til that check hits the bank account!

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:17 pm

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 18th, 2011
9:11 pm
“And Doom posts again without facts”

Sez the one who thinks when he posts his opinion that it is somehow a fact and that when someone else posts an opinion keep then makes the dubious claim that they are positing their statement as fact rather than opinion when they are in fact making no such claim. keep up the sorry fight needs some help with his critical thinking skills.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:20 pm

TruthBe October 17th, 2011 5:05 pm:
Obama is the MOST corrupt of them all and he is down and dirty about it. Chicago Thugs are proud of him.
Not True.

TruthBe October 17th, 2011 6:22 pm
Obama has more “czars” than any other persident.
Not True.

TruthBe October 12th, 2011 9:41 pm
Obama who hasn’t any experiences running anything.
Not True.

Hey, I think I see a pattern here!

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 18th, 2011
9:20 pm

So Doom admits I was right…he does not post facts, merely opinion posing as if it is somehow fact.

Kamchak

October 18th, 2011
9:22 pm

…Obama pooped on a cop car and peed on the sidewalk. It was his way of giving a shout out of support to the kook occupyers.[sic]

I see that someone is blogging while drunk again.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:23 pm

I have to use those word things to help me remember what I wanted to say. You know like hotdogs Armor hotdogs. What kind of kids eat armor hot dogs. Bomb bomb. Fat kids. Skinny kids. Oh yeh. Those Republican candidates are not losers. They’re a bunch of weiners. Where’s John Kerry. He said I could have all the free ketchup samples I wanted. I like the beach boys. Is it 2008 yet. I think I’m supposed to throw a hail mary or bomb bomb bomb.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:24 pm

“all of OWS is bad but not all of the Tea Party despite proven leadership by racists is still okay with Doomy.”-keep up

Keep up has many problems and issues. But I think his biggest issue is thinking that he can read minds. Probably wins a lot of court cases with that mind reading ability of his.

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:24 pm

Wow…I see the whole Soros staff is here tonight. I hope you are getting OT and not just a base salary.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:25 pm

I see that someone is blogging while drunk again.- kamchak

Kammy the poo,

When I’m drunk is the only time you or keep up make sense to me.

Kamchak

October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm

…I see the whole Soros staff is here tonight.

Soros…. I just got a BINGO!

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm

Glad to see the Koch heads are represented here tonight!

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm

Steve-USA,

I call it the tweedledee and tweedledum show when my 2 favorite kooks show up.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm

Scout and Del and USMC and Kayaker71 and others on this blog rail against “socialism,” yet they can’t wait for that pension check to arrive each month.

Should we tell them that the federal has no reserve and that when they get their wish of no more taxes, their checks will bounce like silly putty. Maybe not. We’ll save the good news for later.

moonbat betty

October 18th, 2011
9:27 pm

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:27 pm

Oh! Hail yes! Let’s get out of Iraq and into Iran! Why not? What’s wrong with $20/gallon gasoline?

bman

October 18th, 2011
9:28 pm

when will some of the candidates begin to withdraw from their nomination hopes?

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:28 pm

Always with the insults!

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:30 pm

Thulsa,

I can’t believe isn’t going to show his 9-11 presentation tonight. I was hoping he would have a twin bill with his evidence the moon landing was a hoax.

But we are the crazy ones who don’t have any facts.

josef

October 18th, 2011
9:30 pm

Scout

That exchange is going over like a lead balloon on the street in Israel and DC is in a snit over who was released…

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:30 pm

Keep,

I took the liberty of once again correcting your typos.

So Doom admits keep was wrong…keep does not post facts, merely opinion posing as if it is somehow fact.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:31 pm

Steve: Wow…I see the whole Soros staff is here tonight.

Seriously, do you guys really think this? You act like every single person in the world can be motivated out of being moral simply by receiving money for doing so. I can only guess that if you do think so, it is because you think everyone is motivated by and thinks the same way that YOU do.

Just because YOU would throw your morals out the window for a check from Murdoch, that doesn’t mean that anyone who is saying something you disagree with MUST be taking money in order to say those things, and would otherwise be silent or see things your way.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:31 pm

I should have promised free gas and no taxes. Dammit. Is it 2008 yet. I know there’s something I was gonna do then.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:31 pm

Steve – USA: I have posted a feature-length video numerous occasions about 9/11. It features opinions of Engineers and Architects. You think that by insulting me, the truth about the events will not eventually come out. You’re wrong.

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:34 pm

Adam,

When the same people post every 5 minutes of every day they either are in jail or this is their job. I would love for Jay to do a printout of the number of posts by each poster.

People like you do more posts in a day than I do in a month. If you feel so strong about it start an organization and get off your butt.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:35 pm

Steve- USA,

I dont know that sooth still believes in the 9/11 inside job theory anymore. He and I discussed it one night and the main pillar of his belief was that steel cannot be melted by the fire and heat produced by the jets crashing. It took me a whole 5 minutes to produce a credible scientific response that showed that the steel could not be melted. But it didnt have to be as it is a known, proven scientific fact that the steel merely has to be weakened by the fire and that the steel’s strength would have been weakend up to 90 percent by the temps that we know were reached by the fire. So I think he kind of dropped the theory after he learned that.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:36 pm

Steve – USA: in case you haven’t noticed, we’re all watching the debate. Who cares how many times Adam posts a day. Hell, we’ve have Fright Wing posters who post thousands of posts every day. Unfortunately, they have all been banned.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:36 pm

That Michelle Bachmann is hot. If I was running for president, I’d offer to make her my vp. Is it 2008 yet. Bomb bomb bomb free gas. Illegals are people too… dammit… Corporations are people too. What’d I say.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:37 pm

Steve- USA,

Adam is that trust fund kid that is one of the leaders of the OWS protests. Protesting and complaining is his full time job.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:38 pm

Thulsa proved that the snake is mightier than the steel sword. Arnold is still having a hissy fit over that one.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:38 pm

Steve, Thulsa: I am simply not going to discuss that issue tonight. Come back tomorrow and I’ll be glad to take it up with you then.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:39 pm

Steve: Like I said, you’re incorrect. Especially when you say:

People like you do more posts in a day than I do in a month

I am very frequently not here posting. That you don’t notice that makes little difference to reality.

Ricky B

October 18th, 2011
9:39 pm

Steve. Not worried. I’m too fast for sooth.

1811/0311

October 18th, 2011
9:40 pm

Thulsa:

Ouch !

Adam:

Don’t hold your breath. Time will tell ………… time will tell.

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:40 pm

Thulsa,

That explains it. For some reason I thought he worked at the Post Office.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:42 pm

Steve’s mail should start getting lost. He deserves as much.

Eleanor Roosevelt

October 18th, 2011
9:42 pm

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:42 pm

Thulsa Doom: Adam is that trust fund kid that is one of the leaders of the OWS protests. Protesting and complaining is his full time job.

Thank you for proving that you do, in fact, lie and make stuff up without any facts to back it up.

In case I wasn’t clear, you are wrong on ALL of what you said there.

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:43 pm

1811 must have gotten bit by Thulsa. Do you need to borrow my slightly used snakebite kit.

Steve - USA

October 18th, 2011
9:43 pm

Alright watch the debate sooth, I was just killing 15 minutes while the family wrapped presents for my B-day tomorrow.

As Always…Health and Happiness to everyone.

Soothsayer

October 18th, 2011
9:44 pm

Adam: in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the only thing the Fright Wing has is personal attacks. They don’t have anything substantive to say, only deriding other posters.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:45 pm

Sooth,

I am going to try and be as respectful as I can to you on this 9/11 thing. You and I have discussed this briefly on 3 or more occassions and every time I have provided scientific proof that repudiates what you believe happened you come back with “I’m done discussing this for the night”. No offense but it seems to me that you just saw one video or a couple of videos from one side only and decided it was the sure fire truth without investigating any of the mounds of evidence that clearly and easily refute everything about the consipracy. It took me all of 5 minutes to research and discover that while it is scientific fact that that fire couldnt have melted the beams as you indeed stated it is also scientific fact that the fire didn’t need to melt the beams- that the fire was hot enough to reduce the tensile strength up to 90 percent and that was enough to weaken and topple the beams. Why is it you refuse to see other evidence? Evidence that quite easily refutes the conspiracy theories.

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:46 pm

So you guys thought I was name jacking earlier?

Nope. It’s me! :)

McCain for Resident

October 18th, 2011
9:46 pm

I was just killing 15 minutes while the family wrapped presents for my B-day tomorrow.

Just what we need, another birther.

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:47 pm

OMG, Mitt wit just said he had spent his career in the private sector “creating jobs”.

I think I’m going to be sick.

moonbat betty

October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm

I don’t really care how long the “occupiers” stay.

But lets call a spade a spade.

They are no longer occupiers, they are squatters.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm

McCain for prez,

Next I’m a gonna crucify one of them libruls and hang him from the tree of woe.

getalife

October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm

How was the loser debate?

I was at the casinio and never seen it so empty.

Billybob

October 18th, 2011
9:49 pm

‘I have no idea what outside force might be driving it.’
Comical Jay…..it’s called liberalism…….it’s easy……it’s anything goes……liberalism is the easy choice……honor, values and integrity that conservatives espouse are the hard choices that liberals continue to try to destroy on a daily basis…..class over

Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)

October 18th, 2011
9:50 pm

I just tuned in. Anybody in the crowd cheer baby-killing yet?

ODD OWL

October 18th, 2011
9:50 pm

@ POGO 6:06 pm post…. You must be smoking some of that Acapulco Gold… (good stuff) We Democrats are going to make sure that Herman Cain win the Republican nomination for President. In all the states that permit Democrats to cross party lines and vote in the Republican primaries, we Dems will turn out in massive numbers and vote for Herman Cain. In the gerenal election, President Obama will win at least 75% of the vote and will be asured of winning re-election by a landslide.

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:50 pm

Billybob: honor, values and integrity that conservatives espouse

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

That was a good laugh. Thanks for that.

Thulsa Doom

October 18th, 2011
9:51 pm

Adam

October 18th, 2011
9:42 pm

Thulsa Doom: Adam is that trust fund kid that is one of the leaders of the OWS protests. Protesting and complaining is his full time job.

Thank you for proving that you do, in fact, lie and make stuff up without any facts to back it up.- Adam

Adam,

Good grief son. Can’t you realize that I’m just joking with you You can’t possibly think I was serious when I said you were that trust fund kid on tv at the ows protests. Get a sense of humor dude. Lighten up Frances.