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Gallup Poll Shows
73% Favor Medical Marijuana;
29% Favor Outright "Legalization"!
So What Are The Politicians Really Afraid Of?
(Marijuananews note: Can you think
of any other issue which is
- Favored by over 70% of the people in polls,
- Has won every referendum which has been held,
- Has very significant – albeit not unanimous – establishment support across the
political spectrum, including the editorial pages of many of the leading papers around the
country,
- Has never cost a politician an election because of his support of it,
...and yet, the politicians are described as being afraid to support it?
How does this happen?
Yes, the pharmaceutical industry puts out a lot of money, but they dare not tie it to
this issue.
Some of Republicans may be worried about the far right keeping them from getting
nominated, but Houston libertarian Republican Congressman Dr. Ron Paul won the primary
five years ago against a "Conservative" and was easily reelected last year.
See
Representative Ron
Paul Speaks the Truth In Congress And the Roof Does Not Fall
Liberal Democrats are supposed to be afraid of being called "soft on crime" --
but these numbers seem to suggest that this fear is wholly unwarranted. The people clearly
know the difference.
I think that the answer is both obvious and frightening, all the more so because most
people are afraid to say so.
I think that what almost all of the politicians really fear is the political power of
organized "law enforcement." If this is the case, then this should be of concern
to everyone, regardless of their views on marijuana prohibition.
We know that marijuana prohibition has become a staple of both a somewhat paranoid
ideology that influences – and isolates -- law enforcement, as well as a major source
of power and revenue for police departments.
See
Police
Chiefs Oppose Medical Marijuana;
Our Law Enforcement Problems Are Much More Serious Than Our Drug Problems
and links
This too should be a matter of concern for everyone. The police are not experts on
pharmacology. They have no business trying to influence what drugs doctors can prescribe.
Most police are clearly not even experts on "drugs policy." They certainly
ignore the Dutch experience, which has produced much better results than out policies.
See
The Best
Overview of Dutch Tolerance Policies I Have Ever Read;
And It Is From A Little Rock Weekly
and
New Dutch
Drug Use Data Show Success Of Policies of Truth And Tolerance
Full Text of Press Release And Tables With Data On All Drugs
When a nation is effectively ruled by the political power of the police, it is a police
state, regardless of whether or not it retains the formal procedures of democracy.
If you doubt this, then consider the experience in the states that passed medical
marijuana initiatives by substantial margins, only to see organized law enforcement try to
override the will of the people, often while pretending to comply.
See
Washington
State Prosecutors Seek To Nullify State’s New Medical Marijuana Law
By "Fine-Tuning" It. They would "Require physicians to notify the state
every time they advise a patient to try marijuana as a medicine."
There is no easy solution to this problem, but demanding an end to the suppression of
medical marijuana will play a key part in bringing this problem to light and eventually to
an end. In that regard the therapeutic powers of cannabis may be even greater than we had
hoped.)
See
"Win at All Cost"
Series Documents Prosecutorial Abuses; Now What? Or So What?
From PollingReport.com
http://www.pollingreport.com/health1.htm#Marijuana
All data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.
March 19-21, 1999. N = 1,018 adults nationwide.
(Marijuananews note: This was right after the IOM report.)
Marijuana
"Suppose that on election day this year you could vote on key issues as well as
candidates. Please tell me whether you would vote for or against each one of the following
propositions:
Would you vote for or against: "making marijuana legally
available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering"
For 73%
Against 25 %
No opinion 2%
(Marijuananews note: This is an even wider margin than any
achieved by the various state initiatives. However, I still have to wonder how anyone
could oppose anything defined as being "to reduce pain and suffering." I suspect
that there is an irreduceable 20% hard core that will oppose any mention of marijuana
– until they die – or need it, which ever comes first. It is comparable to the
poll on AOL.)
See
Speaking of Polls:
AOL Polled Its Members On Medical Marijuana The Day Of the IOM Report
and
Prohibitionism After
the IOM Report; Analysis by Richard Cowan
Repeat After Me: No Medicine Is Smoked! No Medicine Is Smoked! No Medicine Is Smoked!
That’s It. You Are Now Qualified To Start Your Very Own Government Funded Anti-Drug
Group!
Would you vote for or against: "the legalization
of marijuana?" |
| Date |
March
1999 |
April
1996 |
| For
|
29% |
24% |
| Against
|
69% |
73% |
| No
opinion |
2% |
3% |
| (Marijuananews note: Notice that
even with the use of the "L" word without any qualification, 29% are in favor.
It would be interesting to see the reaction to a question that made clear that this was
"for adults" and included the words, "regulation" and
"taxation." Remember these numbers the next time that the Drug Czar tells us
that "85% of the people oppose the legalization of drugs." Any question that has
the support of 29% of the people is not a fringe issue.
There is no "margin of error" given on the web page, but in a sample this
size there is usually a 95% probability that it is with 2 or 3 percentage points.)
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Fri 16th 2008f May 2008
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