Pubdate: Fri, 07 Dec 2012
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2012 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: Susan Page
Page: 1A

PUBLIC TO FEDS: BACK OFF STATE POT LAWS

Enforcement questions follow Wash., Colo. votes

Americans are divided over whether marijuana should be decriminalized-
50% say no, 48% say yes-but they overwhelmingly agree on this: When
states vote to legalize pot, the feds should look the other way.

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, those surveyed say by almost 2-1, 63%-34%,
that the federal government shouldn't enforce federal marijuana laws
in states that legalize pot.

The question took on some urgency Thursday as Washington became the
first state to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for
recreational purposes. Just after midnight, hundreds of celebrants lit
joints at the base of Seattle's Space Needle.

A similar law is scheduled to take effect January in Colorado, where
voters last month also approved a ballot measure legalizing the
manufacture, distribution and possession of up to an ounce of
marijuana by adults 21 and older.

That puts both states in conflict with federal law, which lists pot in
the same Schedule 1 category as heroin. "The department's
responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains
unchanged," the U.S. Attorney's office in Seattle said in a written
statement. "Neither states nor the executive branch can nullify a
statute passed by Congress."

Still unclear is precisely how, and how aggressively, federal law
enforcement officials plan to proceed.

The poll finds no national groundswell to decriminalize marijuana.
Support for legalization has risen dramatically since 1969, when
Americans opposed the idea by 84%-12%. But levels of support actually
have dipped a tad from last year.

The age group most in favor of the feds, well, chilling out, aren't
young people but those 50 to 64 years old, members of the Baby Boom
generation. Seventy percent say the feds should look the other way, as
do 69% of those under 30. Among those between 30 and 49 and seniors 65
and older, 61% oppose enforcement.

The poll of 1,015 Americans, taken Nov. 26-29, has a margin of error
of +/-4 percentage points.
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MAP posted-by: Matt