When California first moved to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, the entire political establishment rejected the notion. The Clinton administration condemned the legalization effort as a cynical hoax, and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter called it a threat to the public health of “all Americans.” But even then, the public tended to support legalizing marijuana, though it was much more popular to oppose it vocally.
Several years later, the mood has shifted. People support legalizing marijuana not just for medicinal use, but for recreational purposes too. One recent poll proves this point. As more states legalize marijuana — New York and Virginia are the latest to do so — more than 60% of U.S. adults say they support making it available for medical and recreational use, according to a recent poll. Only 10% said it should be totally illegal.
This is astounding, and it shows just how normal marijuana use has become in our society. In some states, such as California and Colorado, users can purchase marijuana through dispensary drive-thru windows. Other parts of the country, including Washington, D.C., offer marijuana delivery. A decade ago, these services would have been widely denounced. But not anymore.
Older people are still skeptical of the drug — just 32% of those 75 and older believe marijuana should be legal for recreational and medical use — but, by and large, the country has accepted that marijuana is here to stay.
Perhaps people support legalizing it because it’s so common. Plenty of states have embraced legalization already, and so, people know what to expect. Sure, downtown Denver may smell like a dirty diaper now that it’s a magnet for cannabis users worldwide. Homelessness has surged, and children are routinely getting caught with marijuana at school. But still, the public is learning to live with these effects.
In fact, marijuana is the only drug the public is willing to accept, in large part because people don’t believe it’s as harmful as other drugs, such as LSD, cocaine, and heroin.
Whether you think marijuana should be legal or not, there’s no doubt that the public’s perception of the drug has changed dramatically.
