Pubdate: Sun, 01 Nov 2009
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2009 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446

SUPPORT FOR POT REACHES NEW HIGH

Gallup's October Crime poll finds 44 percent of Americans in favor of 
making marijuana legal and 54 percent opposed. U.S. public support 
for legalizing marijuana was fixed in the 25 percent range from the 
late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but acceptance jumped to 31 percent in 
2000 and has continued to grow.

Public opinion is virtually the same on a question that relates to a 
public policy debate brewing in California - whether marijuana should 
be legalized and taxed as a way of raising revenue for state governments.

Just over 4 in 10 Americans (42 percent) say they would favor this in 
their state; 56 percent are opposed. Support is higher among 
residents of the West - where an outright majority favor the proposal 
- - than in the South and Midwest. The views of Eastern residents fall 
about in the middle.

Americans are no more - and no less - in favor of legalizing 
marijuana when the issue is framed as a revenue-enhancement tool for 
state governments. Regardless of how the question is asked, 53 
percent of Americans living in the West - encompassing California, 
where the issue could be on the ballot in 2010 - support legalization.

Gallup.com

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,013 national adults, 
ages 18 and older, conducted Oct. 1-4. The margin of sampling error 
is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom