The new GOP: For the first time, more Republicans support legalizing the use of marijuana than oppose it

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: HOTAIR.COM

URL: http://hotair.com/archives/2016/07/22/the-new-gop-for-the-first-time-more-republicans-support-legalizing-the-use-of-marijuana-than-oppose-it/

by: AllahPundit



Is this the first YouGov poll to show a plurality of Republicans in favor of legalizing weed or the first poll, period? We’ve been trending in this direction for awhile but offhand I can’t remember seeing a survey that had more GOPers supporting legalization than opposed. There have been polls showing Americans generally are in favor, polls showing that young Republicans are in favor, and polls showing that Republicans think alcohol is more dangerous health-wise than pot is. There’s even been a poll that found a majority of Republicans don’t want federal marijuana laws enforced in states where the drug is legal. But a straight-up “legalize it” result from the entire party is a new one on me, at least.

Ailes is out at Fox, Trump is the nominee, and Republicans are ready to toke. Brave new world:

YouGov’s latest research shows that most Americans still support legalization of marijuana, and that support for legalization has increased slightly, from 52% in December 2015 to 55% today. Most of this change is a result of changing attitudes among Republicans. In fact, for the first time, Republicans narrowly tend to support legalization, 45% to 42%.

In December 2015, Republicans had opposed marijuana legalization by 50% to 36%. Prior to this Republicans support for legalization was even more limited. In January 2014 60% of Republicans opposed legalizing marijuana and only 28% supported legalization.

That’s a sharp turnaround for such a short timespan with no major precipitating events in the interim related to legalization. I wonder if Trump’s success in the primaries inadvertently shook loose some support for relaxing marijuana laws among fencesitters in the belief that the GOP is no longer a socially conservative party to the same degree that it used to be.

If you privately questioned the utility of restrictions on pot but went along with party orthodoxy because it’s just What Republicans Believe, Trump’s victory is proof that What Republicans Believe isn’t nearly as clear-cut as you might think.

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[Fishrrman]

A stoned population is a compliant population ...

[txradioguy]

A stoned population is a compliant population ...

And that's just what Liberals like Trump like.

[geronl]

It's a stupid idea but it's a state issue.

[NavyCanDo]

Judging by the cheers last night, pay equality and gay marriage are now also Republican supported issues.

[jmyrlefuller]

Usually social changes like this are not immediate to show up, but I have a feeling that a few factors are at play:

1. The hippies are reaching old age. As some of them got older, they became more conservative, but didn't see the bad in marijuana since they may have smoked it as teens and young adults.

2. The fact that Washington and Colorado have not collapsed or become the center of various other illegal drug industries (as would be expected of a gateway drug) has dispelled some of the myths of the drug.

3. The same subversive actions that have normalized homosexuality have been at work to a lesser extent for promoting marijuana.

[JustPassinThru]

This does help explain this lunatic convention...the entire primary, in fact.

The heavy marijuana use among young people today, and their sudden fascination with the FAILED political ideology of socialism...is not a coincidence, IMHO.

The dramatic increase in marijuana use in general, and the dumbing-down of public discourse and behavior, including our choosing of elected officials and what we tolerate of them once they're entrenched in office, is, again IMHO, not a coincidence.

Widespread marijuana and a democratic republican form of government, are an impossible combination.  Marijuana use ARRESTS societies in development - as it has in Africa, in the Middle East.  Modern societies where it is brought in and widely adopted, leads to regression and chaos borne of poor decision making.  Such as the Netherlands...and in fact, Europe in general.

And now the United States.  Welcome to Idiocracy.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

I think Obamacare has a lot to do with it. As someone who is on a lot of pain meds, many of them are no longer available to pharmacies or suppliers. The Obama Admin has made many source components of pain meds illegal without making the specific med itself illegal so it doesn't make headlines.  Many Obamacare members and government dependants who never had a sip of alcohol in their life are now regular drinkers to replace their pain meds they can't get any more.  It seems natural to me that more people regardless of party are pro legalization. Being Republican doesn't mean you are pain free.

Just my pov.  I say this in addition to previously posted valid  reasons and arguments against legalization.

[geronl]

Judging by the cheers last night, pay equality and gay marriage are now also Republican supported issues.

Universal child-care too.

[montanajoe]

There seems to be more liberaltarians than Conservatives in todays GOP...or at least they have much more influence on the direction of the Party