Pubdate: Mon, 28 Oct 2002
Source: New York Post (NY)
Copyright: 2002 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nypost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/296
Author: Neil Graves

AMERICANS 'HIGH' ON MARIJUANA: POLL

America's conservative attitude toward marijuana is going up in smoke,
according to a new survey.

The Time/CNN poll revealed that 72 percent of Americans now feel that people
arrested with small amounts of marijuana should not do any jail time, while
just 19 percent favored sending pot smokers up the river.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans still want marijuana possession to be
considered a criminal offense - but 34 percent now favor complete
legalization.

A survey in 1986 found that 78 percent opposed legalization, while only 18
percent supported it.

The new poll also offered good news to activists and lawmakers who are
calling for the legalization of medical marijuana: 80 percent of those
surveyed said they favored dispensing pot for medicinal purposes.

The 19 states that either allow medical marijuana or have reduced sentences
to virtually nothing have been riding a wave of increasing pot use
throughout the general public, the survey showed. Forty-seven percent of
those polled in those states said they smoked pot at least once.

The issue of decriminalizing marijuana is on the front burner in several
states where initiatives are on ballots next week.
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