GALLUP: Support For Marijuana Legalization Plummets in 2014
Poll out today shows that only 51% of Americans support legalization, down 7 percentage points (12%) since 2013
PRINCETON- Support for marijuana legalization has fallen dramatically since 2013, even among Liberals, according to a new poll out today. The poll showed that support is at 51% while opposition is at 47%. The margin of error is +/- 4 points.
“This poll shows that legalization is far from inevitable and the fight to stop it is far from over,” remarked Kevin A. Sabet, the President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group he co-founded with honorary advisor Patrick J. Kennedy. “In 2014, marijuana stores opened in Colorado and Washington, and that is right when support plummeted. The lesson here is that legalization in theory does not look like legalization in practice. America hates Big Tobacco, so it makes sense that it would turn sour on Big Marijuana.”
The drop from Gallup is in line with another major national poll. In 2014, the Public Religion Research Institute found national support for legalized marijuana has fallen from 51 percent in 2013 to 44 percent in 2014.
Sabet further remarked, “In Colorado, revenue numbers are low, the underground market is thriving, and health issues are mounting. And, it appears, the public is paying attention.
“Marijuana was generally successful at the ballot in 2014 because of one main reason: money. Proponents spent $9 million to successfully legalize it versus $400,000 by opponents. Those states essentially only heard that marijuana would be good for them. I’m confident that when we can level the playing field, Americans will reject mainstreaming and commercializing a powerful new marijuana industry.”