If the American population had any influence on Capitol Hill, marijuana would be made federally legal, at least for medicinal purposes, according to the latest Yahoo/Marist poll.
The new “Weed & the American Family” survey finds a whopping majority (83 percent) of the United States believes marijuana should be legalized for medical use. However, when it comes to handling marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco, the poll finds the nation is pretty much split down the middle.
Forty-nine percent said they would get behind a plan that allows marijuana to be taxed and regulated like beer and cigarettes, while 47 percent said they are not sure that it’s a good idea.
Unlike the most recent Gallup poll, which showed the largest outpouring of support for legal weed in history, the Yahoo/Marist poll actually forced respondents to pledge an allegiance to either medical or recreational use.
If the latest results are an accurate representation of how the nation feels about the marijuana issue, the federal government should be, at bare minimum, working to implement a policy that considers marijuana an acceptable and legal medical treatment in all parts of the country.
As it stands, well over half the nation has legalized the leaf for either recreational or medicinal use, yet Congress continues to discount the issue. Despite all of the national polls that have emerged over the past year showing that most Americans think marijuana prohibition is ridiculous, there is still no movement in Washington to bring marijuana into the mainstream.
One of the most interesting aspects of the latest survey is that it shows the majority of the population believes the Trump administration should respect states rights and allow the cannabis industry to operate in peace. Sixty-five percent believe Trump’s Justice Department “should either continue the Obama administration’s policy of allowing states to decide their own policies toward recreational marijuana or loosen up federal pot restrictions.”
