Support for legalized pot hits all-time ‘high’

Is it still too late to save the Twinkie?

Earlier this month, voters in both Washington and Colorado approved referendums legalizing the use of marijuana, a decision that puts both states in conflict with federal law. The vote wasn’t close in either state, with the measures passing by a 10-point margin.

According to a new CBS News poll, the people in Washington and Colorado have a lot of company. For the first time since 1979, when CBS began asking the question, support for legalization equals opposition, and the trend line is clear, particularly when you look at the demographic breakdowns.

So far, President Obama has avoided taking a stance on the issue, which puts the federal government in conflict with an increasing number of states (18 have passed medical marijuana laws). Under U.S. law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, in the same category as heroin, morphine and LSD. But at some point in Obama’s second term, congressional action to address that conflict is probably inevitable.

– Jay Bookman