(CBS) So far, there hasn’t been much negative reaction to the photo showing Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps smoking what appeared to be marijuana.
A few years ago, it might have ruined his career, but so far it hasn’t — perhaps a sign of changing attitudes.
The seeming lack of outrage… may reflect America’s changing attitudes towards marijuana – an estimated $30 billion dollar industry in the United States alone.
While a majority of Americans still oppose the legalization of marijuana use, a new CBS News poll shows a big swing in opinion in recent years.
Twenty-seven percent supported legalization in 1979; 41 percent support it today.
Understand that when you get “41% support legalization”, that’s over 2 out of 5 people when asked, “Should marijuana be legalized” who will say “yes.” That’s without any explanation of how, where, when, or for whom it will be legalized, so that includes the spectrum from “fine-only possession, jail for sales, cultivation, and trafficking” to “pre-rolled joints at the convenience store”.
When you change the question to actually define what you mean by “legalization”, the numbers rise. In a 2001 Zogby poll, ten weeks after 9/11, we found:
In light of the tragic events of Sept. 11th and the increased attention to the threat of terrorism, do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana smokers?
Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of federal law enforcement agencies to close patient cooperatives in California and other states where medical marijuana is legal under state law?
Then in 2002, CNN/TIME Magazine commissioned a poll to look at marijuana issues:
Do you favor or oppose the legalization of marijuana?
Do you favor or oppose the legalization of marijuana? What about in small amounts, for example three ounces or less? Do you favor or oppose the legalization of marijuana in small amounts?
Assuming marijuana is not legalized, do you think people arrested for possession of small amounts of mairjuana should be put in jail, or just have to pay a fine but without serving any jail time?
Do you think adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it or do you think that marijuana shouldremain illegal even for medical purposes?
When you start throwing in the idea of controlling cannabis sales through taxation and regulation like liquor stores, the legalization idea gets better support. Zogby asked in 2003 and in 2006:
Do you support amending federal law to let states legally regulate and tax marijuana the way they do liquor and gambling?
In 2003, nationwide support for tax & regulate was only 41%, by 2006 it had risen five points to 46%. On the coasts, majorities favor taxing and regulating marijuana similar to hard liquor (53% East Coast, 55% West Coast).
Finally, when we look at medical use of marijuana, state by state, we find no state below 60% in their support for medical marijuana:
So, is Michael Phelps “getting off easy” because he is a superstar athlete or because most Americans don’t consider marijuana use to be taboo and detrimental anymore?
