Pubdate: Wed, 23 Oct 2013
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright: 2013 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/IuiAC7IZ
Website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/82
Author: Josh Voorhees, Slate

U.S. MAJORITY SUPPORTS MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

For the first time since Gallup began asking the question more than 
four decades ago, a clear majority of Americans now say they support 
the legalization of pot.

There was a small blip in 2011 when there was 50-46 pro-pot split, 
although that plurality was within the poll's margin of error. The 
new poll's first-time majority is noteworthy enough, but the takeaway 
may be the fact that support for legalization climbed a full 10 
points from last year to 58 percent, the largest year-to-year jump in 
the poll's history.

Support for legalization among self-identified Democrats (65 percent) 
and Republicans (35 percent) remained largely the same as it was when 
the pollsters asked the question last year.

The big change, however, is with self-identified independents, who 
saw their support climb 12 points to 62 percent.

Two possible reasons for the overall uptick, according to Gallup: an 
increasing number of Americans who now admit that they've tried the 
drug, and pot advocates' success at the ballot box in the past year 
in Colorado and Washington state.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom