For the first time, a majority of Republicans have joined independents and Democrats in supporting the legalization of marijuana, according to a new survey.
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Gallup found that 51 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of independents and 72 percent of independents back legalization.
The Marijuana Policy Project cheered the results and said it reflects a public desire to stop spending money on law enforcement and instead build up the industry.
“In the five years since the first states made marijuana legal for adults, it has become increasingly clear that — unlike prohibition — regulation works. Adult-use marijuana laws create jobs, generate tax revenue, and protect consumers while taking the marijuana market out of the hands of criminals,” said Morgan Fox, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project.
Concluded Gallup:
As efforts to legalize marijuana at the state level continue to yield successes, public opinion, too, has shifted toward greater support. The Department of Justice under the current Republican administration has been perceived as hostile to state-level legalization. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions could find himself out of step with his own party if the current trends continue. Rank-and-file Republicans’ views on the issue have evolved just as Democrats’ and independents’ have, though Republicans remain least likely to support legalizing pot.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
