New poll finds that a supermajority (86%) of Americans favor cannabis legalization.

A new Harvard-Harris poll, taken in July, indicates that a supermajority of Americans favor cannabis legalization. According to an August 2, 2017 article about the poll in The Hill, “49 percent of Americans polled believe marijuana should be legalized for both medical and personal use. Thirty-seven percent say it should be legalized solely for medicinal purposes, meaning that 86 percent of respondents support legalizing the plant in some form. Only 14 percent say marijuana should be illegal.” These are strong numbers. And consider that public opinion is changing rapidly. Compare these figures to a 2014 CBS poll (admittedly, with polling this is not an apples to apples comparison), which found that “Fifty-one percent say they think the use of marijuana should be made legal, while 44 percent do not.”

Here’s a little thought experiment: think of any other public policy issue that was favored by a similarly large percentage of Americans. Now consider Congress simply failing to act on it. It’s difficult to imagine, isn’t it? But our politicians (particularly at the Federal level) seem to have incredible difficulty getting their heads around reality when it comes to cannabis reform. The only way to ensure that these poll numbers turn into actual change is to let your political candidates know that cannabis reform matters to you and is a strong factor in how you vote.

Thanks to my good friend and bandmate, Didier Rubio, for sending me The Hill article.

Rod Kight is a lawyer based in Asheville, NC. He is licensed in North Carolina and Oregon and represents legal cannabis businesses. You can contact him by clicking here.

Posted 8-3-2017.