Most Individuals consider that marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, in line with a brand new ballot. And greater than two-thirds again hashish legalization in addition to President Joe Biden’s current pardon actions.
The survey, revealed on Monday by Monmouth College, discovered {that a} majority of 54 p.c of adults consider alcohol is extra harmful than marijuana and a plurality of 48 p.c stated tobacco is extra harmful than hashish.
In each eventualities, 38 p.c stated marijuana is equally harmful to both of the 2 federally authorized substances.
A separate ballot launched in August discovered that extra Individuals now overtly admit that they smoke marijuana or eat cannabis-infused edibles than say they’ve smoked cigarettes prior to now week.
Greater than twice as many Individuals suppose that marijuana has a optimistic impression on its shoppers and society at giant than say the identical about alcohol, in line with that Gallup survey knowledge.
That’s typically per the outcomes of a separate ballot launched in March that discovered extra Individuals suppose it’d be good if folks switched to hashish and drank much less alcohol in comparison with those that suppose the substance substitution could be dangerous.
NATIONAL POLL: Is #marijuana extra harmful than alcohol or tobacco?
ALCOHOL:
7% marijuana extra
54% alcohol extra
38% equally harmfulTOBACCO:
13% marijuana extra
45% tobacco extra
38% equally harmfulhttps://t.co/d1yiM6axx7— MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) October 24, 2022
As public opinion continues to shift with respect to the perceived dangers of hashish use, polling has additionally discovered that Individuals are more and more embracing coverage reform. The brand new survey from Monmouth additionally speaks to that development, representing the newest in a string of polls which have discovered broad help for Biden’s shock hashish clemency announcement earlier this month.
It discovered that 68 p.c of respondents are in favor of legalizing possession of small quantities of hashish for private use and 69 p.c help for the president’s mass pardon.
Damaged down by celebration, legalization help was highest amongst Democrats (76 p.c), adopted by independents (73 p.c) and Republicans (52 p.c).
The identical fundamental development performed out with respect to the presidential pardons, with sturdy majorities of Democrats (83 p.c) and independents (71 p.c) in favor, in comparison with 50 p.c of Republicans. A large 77 p.c of respondents stated that they’d heard in regards to the pardons.
NATIONAL POLL: Two-thirds (68%) help legalizing the possession of small quantities of marijuana for private use. Simply 26% oppose this.
SUPPORT by PARTY:
DEM – 76%
IND – 73%
REP – 52%SUPPORT by AGE:
18 to 34 – 87%
35 to 54 – 70%
55+ – 53%https://t.co/d1yiM5Tuv7— MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) October 24, 2022
“Polling from quite a lot of sources exhibits that help for marijuana legalization has been rising constantly over the previous twenty years,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth College Polling Institute, said. “Biden’s motion is according to how the overwhelming majority of Individuals really feel about this subject.”
The ballot additionally requested folks in regards to the impression of ending hashish prohibition, and 54 p.c stated the reform would haven’t any impact on different drug crimes, whereas 16 p.c stated these crimes would lower and 25 p.c stated they might enhance.
Whereas there’s broad help for, and consciousness of, Biden’s pardons, respondents had blended understandings of the scope of the aid. Requested how many individuals they thought acquired clemency beneath the proclamation, 25 p.c stated it was 1,000 folks or much less; 26 p.c put the quantity between 1,001 and 10,000; 14 p.c stated 10,001-100,000 and 7 p.c stated it was over 100,000. One other 29 p.c stated they weren’t positive.
A U.S. Sentencing Fee (USCC) evaluation places the quantity at about 6,500 U.S. residents who’ve been pardoned for committing federal hashish possession offenses.
The survey additionally requested about respondents’ private expertise with hashish, and 54 p.c stated they’ve tried marijuana, in comparison with 45 p.c who stated they haven’t. Individuals who’ve used hashish have been considerably extra more likely to favor legalization (86 p.c) versus those that haven’t tried it (47 p.c).
Moreover, 43 p.c stated that hashish use is “not likely an issue” within the nation, whereas 24 p.c stated it’s “not too critical,” 16 p.c stated it’s “reasonably critical” and 15 p.c stated it’s “very critical.”
The ballot concerned interviews with 808 adults from October 13-17, with a +/-5.2 proportion level margin of error.
After campaigning on a sequence of incremental marijuana reform pledges, Biden has spent most of his time in workplace silent on the problem, till making the pardon announcement. He’s since talked in regards to the motion on a number of events, saying it represents a key “promise” saved that may very well be constructed upon if Democrats retain or increase their congressional majorities.
He stated on Sunday that his clemency “modified the lives of hundreds of individuals.” Nonetheless, he individually signaled final week that he wouldn’t lengthen pardons to individuals who offered marijuana, regardless of requires expanded aid from advocates.
Activists with College students for Wise Drug Coverage (SSDP), Final Prisoner Challenge (LPP) and DCMJ staged protests outdoors of the White Home on Monday to name consideration to the problem, demanding that Biden launch the estimated 2,800 folks at the moment in federal jail for marijuana convictions that aren’t restricted to easy possession.
In the meantime, the Justice Division and U.S. Division and Well being and Human Companies (HHS) have dedicated to rapidly perform the separate scheduling assessment the president directed, which might lead to a advice to put hashish in a decrease schedule or take away it altogether, successfully legalizing the plant beneath federal regulation.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has stated officers will “work as rapidly as we are able to” to finish the evaluation of hashish scheduling per the president’s directive.
The Division of Justice, for its half, “will expeditiously administer the President’s proclamation, which pardons people who engaged in easy possession of marijuana, restoring political, civil, and different rights to these convicted of that offense,” a division spokesperson stated.
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh stated that officers will likely be working diligently to make sure that individuals who acquired a pardon for federal marijuana offenses beneath the presidential proclamation should not impeded from future job alternatives.
Vice President Kamala Harris stated this month that voters ought to elect lawmakers who help marijuana reform in order that Congress can enact a “uniform strategy” to the problem in mild of the president’s hashish pardons.
Photograph courtesy of Mike Latimer.