United Liberty
More Americans Support Legalization of Marijuana than Stimulus Package
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 5:08pm | posted by Austin Wilkes
In the aftermath of the Michael Phelps saga the issue of marijuana has been brought back into the public conversation and at least according to recently published Rasmussen Reports polls, legalization of marijuana (40% support) is more popular than the recently passed stimulus package (38% support).
In a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, Americans are closely divided on the question of whether marijuana should be legalized: 40% say it should be, while 46% disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure which course is better.- Rasmussen 02/19/09
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters nationwide believe the $787-billion stimulus plan passed by Congress will help the economy. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 29% believe the plan will hurt and 24% believe it will have little impact.- Rasmussen 02/16/09
While the headline itself is incredible for those who agree, the details are even more favorable, with the key “independent” group of voters, who are the deciding factor in most elections, supporting fiscal responsibility and personal liberty both with greater margins than the nation as a whole. In fact, of these adults unaffiliated with a political party, a 49% plurality support legalization vs 41% who oppose.
Among adults not affiliated with either major political party, 49% favor legalization of marijuana, while 41% oppose it.
Among those not affiliated with either major party, 27% say it [Stimulus Package] will help, and 34% think it will hurt the economy.
Might we ask why is it still considered political suicide or at minimum, political taboo, to even talk about marijuana decriminalization?
This is a list of other things less popular than legalization of marijuana…
—Congress (26-40%)
—The war in Iraq (39%)
—Decreasing immigration levels (39%)
—Privatizing Social Security (36%)
—Opposing investigating the Bush administration (34%)
—Opposing national, government run health insurance (32%)
—Vetoing stem cell research (31%)
—The Republican Party (31%)
—Dick Cheney (30%)
—George W. Bush (24-34%)
—Decreasing business regulations (28%)
—Rush Limbaugh (28%)
—Mitch McConnell (22%)
—Preventing the openly gay from serving in the military (17%)
—John Boehner (17%)
“Might we ask why is it still considered political suicide or at minimum, political taboo, to even talk about marijuana decriminalization?”
A major factor includes the resources spent by the feds in media and law enforcement demonizing the weed. The ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) has been caught spending government money to actually influence and control the content of popular entertainment TV shows.
What better way to condition the population for slavery than to convince them that it’s OK to throw people in prison for the simple possession of an unprocessed plant that grows almost everywhere in the world and which is, by the FDA’s own judge’s admission, “the safest therapeutic substance known to man.”
Or at the very least, what better way to eliminate competition for military-pharmaceutical-congressional complex?
Interesting article, thanks for bringing out the info.
The government should stop throwing everyone who does not agree with them in jail. Pot smokers are not hurting anyone but themselves and their family members. Responsible people take care of themselves and their family members first and if they have time themselves. If you ask me pot should be legal and booze should be illigal. When was the last time you heard of someone getting all smoked up and getting into a fight!!! Dumb at best!!. The government needs to take a 180 and get a look at all tha damage they have done the last 100 years or so and get a grip! Any way all I’m saying is what a million other sane people are saying daily, just ignore me as you do the million and one others behind me. Thanks Bush and all your friends. My name is Bob Madebach, please use your ill gotten power to destroy me, Coward.
Bottom line: The government should not be waging a war against people who chose to smoke a plant/use a drug on themselves. It is a victimless “crime.”
http://www.davidcarlsonpolitics.com
Booze was illegal. But prohibition didn’t work, hence its legislation was ended. People should have the right to make their own personal choices of what they should put inside their bodies. The government is not a babysitter.
What ended Prohibition wasn’t any driving philosophy that people should have the right to choose. No, it was pure economics. The government needed money. People were drinking on the sly without the government getting a dime from it in tax revenues. By legalizing alcohol, the government got its next revenue “fix”.
I predict that legalized marijuana will come about in the near future. But like with Prohibition, it will not be for altruistic reasons on the part of government.
I don’t understand why more people drink, have fight, get in a care & kill people on the road, when I stay at home & hide my marijuana & get high because the asshole we put in office doesn’t know the good marijuana does. Why don’t we put it on the ballot & let the people have a say. The American way.
You, my friend are a good reason why NOT to legalize marijuana. It makes people Stupid.
Granted, marijuana might make people stupid, but only for about an hour or two. Where, unlike alcahol, you are still in control of yourself. NEVER have I heard about someone getting high, and then going out and driving and killing a whole bunch of people. The most they might do is sit on the couch and eat a whole bag of potato chips. What a crime!
If the grovenment really want to get us out of this recession, they should legalize marijuana. Do you know how much money the government could make?!?
I don’t agree with people doing drugs, but I don’t believe that marijuana is a drug. It is a plant. Plain and simple. It is not like cocaine or meth, where they add all kinds of poisons and unnatural stuff to it.
I am a very established member of my community and I work very hard and a lot of hours, and I think that when I get off, I deserve the right to sit down, smoke a bowl, and get to relax.
My husband has RSD-look it up yourself smartypants. Every legal painkilling drug he is prescribed only knocks him out, constipates him or causes memory loss. Not to mention it only dulls the pain of this terrible disease for a short time. The next step will be the last one next to suicide, a morphine pump. Ironically, my
“straight as an arrow” mother called several years ago to tell me about patients with MS using pot to help the pain. My husband tried it…guess what! He can now be up on his feet for about 15 minutes at a time and he can attend our three young childrens school sports and academic events as well as going to church on Sunday.
The only bad part is living a double standard to keep such a “drug” from our children. They don’t know, and will not know he uses this as an alternative pain releiver.
Do some research and support the people in real need of natural choices, not man-made.
It does not make people stupid, stupid people are already out there with their closed minds Teresa!!!!
Remember the old………….”walk a mile”?
Do you realize, and can you even count how many things in this world that are legal that “make people stupid”? Do you honestly support the criminalization of these things? Because if so, here’s some irony for you: That’s stupid.
marijuana doesn’t make you stupid you dumb bitch. marijuana doesn’t do a damn thing except get you high for an hour or so. you gotta learn, like with everything else, control, limit your use and you will be perfectly fine. i’m 18 years old and i can guarantee i’m smarter than you and i smoke weed daily more than once a day so fuck off quit hating on the ganja and make ciggarettes and alcohol, the real killers, ILLEGAL YOU DUMBASS.
You my friend are uninformed. Most of my friends that smoke pot are members of Mensa society and/or have IQ’s over 140. Almost all graduated college. You should try reading…..instead of believing propaganda or watching movies. Start with WebMD that shows results of new studies.
I’ve personally watched (four) family members die from alcohol. In contrast, I challenge anyone that’s against pot use to point out even one death from marijuana.
By the way, why do you want to take away the pursuit of happiness from another? Freedom is dying slowly in this country because of intolerant ignorant jackass’s such as yourself.
Just to educate you because it is so obvious you are talking out your ass. Alcohol KILLS BRAIN CELLS and once they are dead, they can’t regenerate! Marijuana DOES NOT KILL BRAIN CELLS. So who is the stupid one now? DO your research before you speak and sound like an idiot.
You, my friend are a great reason we need more education and less uninformed bigotry. :)
Why don’t you guys stay home and get high and let the “real” grown-ups make the laws? Smoking pot confuses your judgement, that’s why you do it! You cannot make any rational decisions while under the influence. You only vote for people who meet your own selfish agenda. Let the adults make the decisions for those of you who are too stoned to decide for yourself, your family, your country.
You miss the entire reasoning behind legalizing marijuana. I for one have never touched marijuana nor do I plan on it.
“You only vote for people who meet your own selfish agenda.”
Who is ‘you’? So now anyone who wants marijuana legalized will only vote for someone meeting their own selfish agenda? Wanting marijuana legalized is SELFISH? How so? I don’t plan on smoking it. Let me ask you this - Why the Hell is the government imprisoning people for smoking a plant???
“Smoking pot confuses your judgement, that’s why you do it! You cannot make any rational decisions while under the influence.”
-So I take it that you are in favor of making alcohol legal, since it clouds ones judgments MUCH worse than marijuana and has caused thousands upon thousands deaths relative to the deaths caused by marijuana.
“Let the adults make the decisions for those of you who are too stoned to decide for yourself, your family, your country.”
So people who use a drug like marijuana shouldn’t be making decisions? Oh, well say goodbye to most of those in government who engage in the drug alcohol.
http://www.davidcarlsonpolitics.com
You are making un-informed comments about marijuana and you know it!!! If you somked pot you would know that it has nothing to do with intelligence. The last time I checked people who smoke pot dont lose there minds and shoot there friend over an argument.I did however have a neighbor who did just that while intoxicated with alchohol.
I have smoked marijuna for the past 10 years and well frankly I still think of myself as pretty damn intellegent!! I manage to take care of my family, work a full time job, and find time to spend with my friends.
With that said its not so much about marijuana but how you use it, just like it is with any other stimulant. If you go home after a hard day at work take care of the kids,the husband or wife,the dog,and that little problem your friend needs help with and you finally get to sit down for 5 minutes and smoke a joint to unwind isnt that better than stopping at the local beer store for a 12 pack and getting drunk or heading straight for the medicine cabinet to take a handfull of pills because one or two just dont do it for you any more. Its actually people like you im worried about deciding for me. Mabey if the people running the country would smoke a fatty and ponder on the bigger picture no one else would lose a loved one to drunk driving. The little girl whose about to find her mom dead on the floor from taking to many perscription pills wont have to live that nightmare!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!!!!
Do you mean the same grown ups that started the Iraq war and DESTROYED the economy? So glad they made these decisions for my family and country cause everyone is doing so awesome right now!!
Of course you can’t make rational decisions when your stoned. That’s why they call it getting high. I like a little in the evening when all my business is taken care of and its time to finally relax. Can you make a rational decision while drunk? No, but you might get in your car and drive like the Indy 500 or get into a fight. All I need is a bowl of ice cream and Family Guy on the TV.
49 percent wanted weed legalized but dont even vote or could care less if a muslim becomes president! see what drugs do to you? It makes you lazy and stupid Daaaaaa….
Obama is the best thing that has happened to this country in the last 8 years, so if your one of these back woods people who live in the middle of no where i would advise you to take a second look at the world you think you live in, because you don’t know as much as you should.
marijuana has nothing to do with that fact there is a mixed president in office the American people wanted him there and if weed help that then thank god. Marijuana could help this country like no one has ever seen. Marijuana can help cure cancer, hemp helps make clothes, we can build houses from hemp, People with glaucoma can see, so tell me one reason any of that is bad. Creating a billion dollar industry when the USA’s economy is almost nothing. Why not give it just one shot,give it to the doctors and the scientist, let them find out more ways it can benefit us. People look at Marijuana smokers like we are crazy, then we tell them all the things it does for you and look,they open there eyes and see the have been lied to. So, to the gentlemen who wrote this look at the world with truth behind it not some made up fairytale. If marijuana can help with everything from helping you see,making clothes,help someone who’s sick with cancer eat,someone who needs a home that doesn’t have a lot of money(the material is made from hemp),to saving our economy and giving us things like gas and a new cash crop, and millions of jobs for farmers and many more.My name is Joshua Hawkins and i know my voice will never be heard but i can say this, i believe in the legalization of marijuana because it can save our economy and give the United States of America another reason to be called the land of choices, the land of change,and the land of the free.
To the people who know the truth, blaze one.
to those who don’t know yet this has been marijuana 101
lol
and if you don’t believe me about the house thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cGRc0WZt7k&eurl=http://video.google.com/…
there you go..
i have to agree with most commenter’s here today. i smoke a little pot for medical reason’s. i have a neurological disorder and for the past several year’s i have been treated with numerous pharmaceutical’s and thus far nothing has given me relief of the pain as does marijuana. so…. for those of you that think pot has no place in medical treatment program’s have never read up on the plant. i would suggest that before making/passing judgement on people as myself do a little research on the marijuana plant first.
I have never tried marijuana but totally would like to see it legalized. Too much $ is spent on this wasted effort. But who is against this: Mafia/drug lords; law enforcement—many well paid jobs; and the church!!
I was going to call my Congressman, and then I got high.
I was going to march in protest, and then I got high.
I was going to change this government and make making smoking legal, and then I got high, and then I got high, and then I got high.
Marijuana could help this country like no one has ever seen. Marijuana can help cure cancer, hemp helps make clothes, we can build houses from hemp, People with glaucoma can see, so tell me one reason any of that is bad. Creating a billion dollar industry when the USA’s economy is almost nothing. Why not give it just one shot,give it to the doctors and the scientist, let them find out more ways it can benefit us. People look at Marijuana smokers like we are crazy, then we tell them all the things it does for you and look,they open there eyes and see the have been lied to. If marijuana can help with everything from helping you see,making clothes,help someone who’s sick with cancer eat,someone who needs a home that doesn’t have a lot of money(the material is made from hemp),to saving our economy and giving us things like gas and a new cash crop, and millions of jobs for farmers and many more.My name is Joshua Hawkins and i know my voice will never be heard but i can say this, i believe in the legalization of marijuana because it can save our economy and give the United States of America another reason to be called the land of choices, the land of change,and the land of the free.
To the people who know the truth, blaze one.
to those who don’t know yet this has been marijuana 101
and if you don’t believe me about the house thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cGRc0WZt7k&eurl=http://video.google.com/…
there you go..
Legalization is a good thing. Not just because one may like to get high, because like with any alcohol, it must be consumed responsibly, but because by allowing its growth and distribution, it may be taxed as a commodity. There are several benefits from the legalizatoin and taxation of pot. The income from taxing pot would be substantial at the state, federal and local levels. It would reduce the drug and gang violence. It would reduce jail populations. It would increase jobs not only in the growth,cultivation and sales of POT but in other uses of the hemp fibers and seeds. It would expand auxiliary sales of other items, pipes, clothing, jewelry, etc. It would provide additional revenues to social security and the payroll tax which would be different from the basic tax levied by F,S,L govt orgs. It would create additional jobs in education as it would have to be treated like alcohol and people need to understgand the need to smoke it responsibly. Its use cannot interfer with ones education or job and one really shouldnt be stoned when they go to church, as worship of the lord is sacred unto itself. But look at those who have a nip or two before going to church. It does happen more than anyone would believe. This would also create additional jobs in marketing and advertising. Punishments would be the same as for alcohol. All in all it would be beneficial to our economy. Are there health risks? Smoking it may have an impact, but eating it does not harm ones lungs and it may be used as a seasoning on meat Beef, deer, fish, chicken/fowl, pork) dishes, on vegetables, in sauces, and in desserts. This would eliminate the impact on ones lungs. Anyway something to consider as we struggle through these Democratic led hard times.
Our economy was strong until the democraps took over both the house and Senate in 06. Then jobs dried up due to their increased socialistic and communistic legislation. ASk yourself this, why would anyone want a govt beauracrate running their lives, banking systems or medical issues. They fail at running govt. Do you really think they can manage these issues better than yourself. NOT
Pot laws are like motorcycle helmet laws. The people that want and enforce motorcycle helmet laws do not ride motorcycles. Therefore,the folks that want pot to be illegal have never seen it or smoked it. The people that favor gun control do not own guns. The people that want to impose their beliefs on others should go to jail in my opinion………I feel that all of congress and the senate should be fired and replaced with people that live in the real world…..but then I’m not a politician.
Bottom line and I don’t care what side of this argument your on is-
Any thing that is abused Pot ,Alcohol ,or food is bad for you!
One can sit there on his butt and smoke pot one joint after another until he is completely stupid and yes your judgment will be impaired.
One can sit on his butt and drink all day long and he will be hammered and his judgment completely impaired.
One can sit on his but and eat non stop all day and his judgment will also be impaired craving more food until he is as big as a barn.
But coming home from work and smoking a little pot doesn’t impair your judgment until you cross the line of gluttony.
Same with every thing else we put in our bodies, and you will always have people that can’t control their actions . Should we also out law excessive eating and throw those people in prison?
Fun to read the postings. Unfortunate about the lack of SpellCheck. I’ll attribute that to morning caffeine jitters. Please consider that not all who smoke the stuff want to get to the point of blotto; some just like to take the edge off. Maintaining the ability to make rational decisions, like say, oh I don’t know, how to evacuate the home if fire breaks out or if one of your neighbors comes banging on your door saying their kid just collapsed and is turning blue or just how to use the new remote to find ‘Family Guy’ (Sponge Bob and Jimmy Neutron are MY favorites). Nope; never a good idea to get blotto.
Marijuana will never be legalized, or decriminalized. It’s big business keeping Americans locked up. From the lawyers, judges and policemen, to the construction for prisons and the laundry, food, and medical industry taking care of these millions in jail. There would be a lot of people out of work if marijuana was decriminalized.
I, personally, do not believe the government should be making personal choices for the citizens of the USA.
I am using marijuana for medicinal purposes, as suggested by 3 of my doctors. I am permanently disabled due to Degenerative Joint Disease (right hip is titanium, left hip needs to be replaced soon). My knees, hips and spine are seriously affected. I suffer constant pain and am under a lot of stress from living with it. None of the pain medications control the pain, they just made me sick from the side affects.
The use of Marijuana two times daily has been a Godsend to me. No more stress causing damage to my body and the pain is less noticiable or more bearable.
I do not believe the Government has the right to make laws that attempt to protect us from ourselves. Especially on this issue. I have read the entire report put together by government ‘experts’, that has largely been ignored whenever legalization is mentioned.
The Marijuana Policy Project was a study done by experts and basically found absolutely no reason to ban it’s use. The consensus of the MPP is that there is no harm in using it and a lot of reasons a person might need to use it.
As usual, the Government does as IT pleases, not what the people want. They ignore any Truth that doesn’t fit their Platform, in spite of truckloads of scientific data.
What ever happened to citizen rights? We give plenty of those rights to illegal aliens.
It should be legalized. I am not a person that has become a criminal for monetary gain. I’m a criminal because I deal with drug dealers to purchase my illegal substance.
Pat,
It is stories like yours, as well as common sense about what the role of government should and should not be, that gives me the motivation to advocate such things as marijuana decriminalization and legalization. There are people who are on your side! Have you checked out NORML? It’s a GREAT organization to get plugged into. I think it can do really big things. http://www.norml.org
http://www.davidcarlsonpolitics.com
I have been enjoying marijuana just about every day for the last thirty-five years. I have two adult children, three grand-children and a wonderful marriage.
We own our own home and are not in foreclosure. We work full time jobs and I own stock in the company I work for as well as being on the management team.
When I come home, I want to grab a beer, smoke a little and take the edge off the day. It’s my business. Don’t dare assume that I’m not an educated individual.
I pay my taxes and I support my local community.
I am a citizen that supports legalization!
George Washington was a pot farmer and a pot smoker (look it up). Anti-Marijuana = anti-American.
I’d much rather see my children (adults) or husband stop at the store and pick up a 6 pack of joints than a 6 pack of beer any day!
If they are smoking they are mellower, probably playing PS3 and munching. Sure my grocery bill will go up but I know nobody is going to hop in the car stoned and go kill someone, unlike drinking alcohol. Alcohol has a totally opposite effect on a person than does marijuana.
I’ve used it for pain control before I got into a pain management clinic years ago. It helped with the back pain tremendously and I hate smoking pot, can’t stand the taste and hate the high…..if I wasn’t so desperate to relieve the pain I wouldn’t have touched it.
Stupid Drs didn’t believe I had pain (they do now and know the source) so what was I supposed to do? Suffer until I killed myself just to escape the pain?
Everyone I know that smokes weed has a great job/career and work everyday. Not one of them has been unemployed in over 20 years (until recently with the economy)
I say legalize weed, it isn’t hurting anyone except the border patrol agents and cops who are trying to fight the war on drugs.
Let American’s grow for their own personal use and it would put some major cartels out of business!
I read somewhere that Pot is illegal due to lobbyists. Yep, way back when (1800’s) - the cotton growers demanded that Hemp be illegal because they didn’t want the competition. They pushed for the ban - and won. Just goes to show that once new laws are made - they stay on the books - Yep, our government and their war on drugs would rather let a rapist out of prison than a pot smoker. Remember that the next time for city asks for higher taxes to build a bigger prison.
I am going to disagree with your numbers, you can’t or disagree agree with anything you fail to understand which is where most Americans are on the stimulus bill. The real questions of pertinence is with so many americans believing pot shouldn’t be illegal will Obama we will see the decriminalization of pot?
Why Not Smoke it, Helps you when you get.
BOHICA, BEND OVER HERE IT COMES AGAIN. BY OUR GOVERMENT. and Every one else with there Hands in our wallets. I personaly dont smoke the S—t, However If it Dont Come out af a Jim Beam Bottle or a Budweiser Cam I dont F—k with It. When they get Done Raming this Stimulas S—t up are A-S. people wont be able to Afford to Buy the S—t. So the Crime will go up and the Jails will Be OVER crouded.. Probly have to put them in Tent cities to Hold them All.. Marijuana, COKE, And other S—T is Now for Politions and Religious Leaders.. They need to give the S—t out for Free. So we can get over the Shock of Having a Coon Dog for A President,
Goodness, PJBohn - does the 985 stand for the amount of times you swear in a paragraph?
Do I fall about sideways, grabbing hold of strangers then throw up all over them when I’ve smoked my head off of a night? I totally agree that no one should smoke this at work, but that’s where it ends. Yes it makes you dosile, but your own brain can snap you out of a smoke buzz a whole lot quicker than it can from alcohol. You are misunderestimating (as a donut president once said) your grey matter .
Don’t work with it, don’t drive with it, but don’t give me any nonsense about detremental affects when too many paracetamol can kill you stone dead. Take as much as you like of the smoke, the worst that will happen is an antisocial night, if you go too far.
I also agree that you shouldn’t mix drugs with alcohol, but unfortunately, the real culprits are those who take it to the extremes with everything. Adicts and idiots cause the problems with society and you have people like that in every single category on this planet, legal or otherwise!
I agree with what you said. The main point we need to concentrate on is simply this: Why is the government throwing people in prison for victimless crimes? There is a serious difference between taking a joint and forcing someone to smoke it against their will, and willfully smoking one.
http://www.davidcarlsonpolitics.com
I think personally, the make work philosophy has much to do with it, as anonymous stated, but there is also a little reading between the lines required. The more serious crimes are not solved like we see on TV, folks; puff dealers are easy prey as they are rife. If you take away car related and drug related (minor offences), that rate of crimes solved plummets.
I agree that there is industry in its farming etc, but this way it is under their control a lot more than people think.
I hate self-righteous people who think that you are a bad person if you smoke weed. Legalize the stuff already, and tax it; it would get us out of debt quick. It is such a stupid battle.
It would seem everyone’s on it in America. It’s 1:43am here in England and I’m ready to go (incapacitated beyond the realms of responsibility due to smoke though I am; get real). I will not be going driving, I will not be trying to dance with my lovely lady, but anyone want to test my rationality?
Great article, good angle. With all the hoopla over Michael Phelps at the moment we’ve got to do everything we can while it’s in the spotlight to show the world how silly the drug laws are. I wrote a post about how it could help save the economy:
http://theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com/2009/02/green-revolution.html
And I’ve seen other similar articles popping up. Keep up the good work!
Marijuana does not make you stupid. Your parents teaching you to suck the government’s dick and not listen to rational arguments makes you stupid.
Legalization even of easy drugs this is not a correct way to healthy nation!
Get us out of debt? Dream on a-holes. USA will never get out of debt. Ever!
Legalization is just another excuse for people to be lazy about reality. They can’t cope. Remember, you are responsible for your future when you place to your mouth food or drugs. They are all poison. Some are just a bit more toxic than others. USA’s days as a world power are numbered. What better way to accelerate it than to get you to believe in plants.
Wow, Zeeler, you are frighteningly mis-informed about marijuana and our nation as a whole. You might want to move to another country, and leave freedom to those of us who care. ;)
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