4 ms·

Depends on what exact policies you're talking about really. Marijuana prohibition especially has been majority-unpopular for a long time, and legalization majo

by rjbwork 11y ago

Depends on what exact policies you're talking about really. Marijuana prohibition especially has been majority-unpopular for a long time, and legalization majority-popular for anywhere from 4-7 years now, depending on the polls you use. Other drugs are definitely more controversial.

Loughla 11y ago
Depending on what polls you use. When you use the type of polls that matter - actual voting, it's the elderly and conservative that vote, so it's the elderly and conservative who have a voice. Hence, marijuana prohibition continues. We're only seeing a lightening of this prohibition because our elderly are more and more from the baby boomer generation - the generation that made smoking pot cool.
dinkumthinkum 11y ago
Is 4-7 years a long time? What does majority-popular mean? Someone else asked "what polls," and I have to agree with that. I think the last time this came up in California for a ballot initiative the results weren't as you are assuming. I'm not sure what the majority opinion is on anything; from what I can tell if you asked a large number if Americans who Abraham Lincoln was with 3 choices, it would probably be all over the place.
- deaddodo 11y ago
  California was the first state to decriminalize 50 years ago and has always been majority for legalization. The issue has always been turnout (since it's decriminalized and medically legal), but even now, polls show 60% of likely voters to be pro-legalization: http://blog.norml.org/2016/02/25/poll-60-percent-of-likely-california-voters-support-initiative-effort-to-legalize-adult-marijuana-use/ http://blog.norml.org/2016/02/25/poll-60-percent-of-likely-c...
  - dinkumthinkum 11y ago
    The issue is turnout ... oh wow. Well "if only all the people that want my product, bought my product, my startup would be a huge success .... It's just all those that want to buy my product can't get around to buying it ... Will you fund my startup Mr. VC?"
- rjbwork 11y ago
  I suppose I was being somewhat intentionally obfuscatory. There's been a large contingent of "undecided" for a while, majority-popular meaning >50% in favor, majority-unpopular meaning >50% not in favor. So if you had 45% in favor, but 40% against, and 15% undecided, that's majority unpopular...I should honestly not post so spur of the moment. ;)
rayiner 11y ago
Define "long time." Among the general public, it was only 2011-12 when more people wanted marijuana legal than illegal: http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/4-14-2015_01 http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legali.... That's a very short time in political timescale (especially in a government with representative rather than direct democracy). The public opinion on other drugs is not controversial. People broadly agree they should be illegal: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/drug-legalization-poll_n_5162357.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/drug-legalization-p.... There is pretty much nothing 75-85% of Americans agree on, other than that heroin, cocaine, LSD, etc, should be illegal. Well, that and that we should throw people in prison for life after three felonies: https://books.google.com/books?id=_wcyrot2kcUC&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=support+for+three+strikes+laws+time+cnn+1994&source=bl&ots=Fn4jlAS-Fz&sig=vCJx0crZyYT4MsNgDfE4Z5PTpeI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje_u3V36rMAhUDaz4KHfVKDo0Q6AEIPDAE#v=onepage&q=support%20for%20three%20strikes%20laws%20time%20cnn%201994&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=_wcyrot2kcUC&pg=PA234&lpg=...
- techdragon 11y ago
  Not agreeing or disagreeing with you, just reminding people of an important relevant point. It's pretty well proven that a survey can be crafted to guarantee the desired outcome for whom ever paid for it.
  - rayiner 11y ago
    Its a Pew survey (a generally liberal outfit), and shows a change in response to the same question over time.
- pcwalton 11y ago
  > Well, that and that we should throw people in prison for life after three felonies: Those polls were from 1994 and 1995. The crime rate was way higher then: http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/ldah6rdp6ukvngoyqi1fcg.gif http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Prod...

by rjbwork 11y ago

Loughla 11y ago

Depending on what polls you use. When you use the type of polls that matter - actual voting, it's the elderly and conservative that vote, so it's the elderly and conservative who have a voice. Hence, marijuana prohibition continues. We're only seeing a lightening of this prohibition because our elderly are more and more from the baby boomer generation - the generation that made smoking pot cool.

dinkumthinkum 11y ago

Is 4-7 years a long time? What does majority-popular mean? Someone else asked "what polls," and I have to agree with that. I think the last time this came up in California for a ballot initiative the results weren't as you are assuming. I'm not sure what the majority opinion is on anything; from what I can tell if you asked a large number if Americans who Abraham Lincoln was with 3 choices, it would probably be all over the place.

deaddodo 11y ago
California was the first state to decriminalize 50 years ago and has always been majority for legalization. The issue has always been turnout (since it's decriminalized and medically legal), but even now, polls show 60% of likely voters to be pro-legalization: http://blog.norml.org/2016/02/25/poll-60-percent-of-likely-california-voters-support-initiative-effort-to-legalize-adult-marijuana-use/ http://blog.norml.org/2016/02/25/poll-60-percent-of-likely-c...
- dinkumthinkum 11y ago
  The issue is turnout ... oh wow. Well "if only all the people that want my product, bought my product, my startup would be a huge success .... It's just all those that want to buy my product can't get around to buying it ... Will you fund my startup Mr. VC?"
rjbwork 11y ago
I suppose I was being somewhat intentionally obfuscatory. There's been a large contingent of "undecided" for a while, majority-popular meaning >50% in favor, majority-unpopular meaning >50% not in favor. So if you had 45% in favor, but 40% against, and 15% undecided, that's majority unpopular...I should honestly not post so spur of the moment. ;)

rayiner 11y ago

Define "long time." Among the general public, it was only 2011-12 when more people wanted marijuana legal than illegal: http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/4-14-2015_01 http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legali.... That's a very short time in political timescale (especially in a government with representative rather than direct democracy). The public opinion on other drugs is not controversial. People broadly agree they should be illegal: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/drug-legalization-poll_n_5162357.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/drug-legalization-p.... There is pretty much nothing 75-85% of Americans agree on, other than that heroin, cocaine, LSD, etc, should be illegal. Well, that and that we should throw people in prison for life after three felonies: https://books.google.com/books?id=_wcyrot2kcUC&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=support+for+three+strikes+laws+time+cnn+1994&source=bl&ots=Fn4jlAS-Fz&sig=vCJx0crZyYT4MsNgDfE4Z5PTpeI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje_u3V36rMAhUDaz4KHfVKDo0Q6AEIPDAE#v=onepage&q=support%20for%20three%20strikes%20laws%20time%20cnn%201994&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=_wcyrot2kcUC&pg=PA234&lpg=...

techdragon 11y ago
Not agreeing or disagreeing with you, just reminding people of an important relevant point. It's pretty well proven that a survey can be crafted to guarantee the desired outcome for whom ever paid for it.
- rayiner 11y ago
  Its a Pew survey (a generally liberal outfit), and shows a change in response to the same question over time.
pcwalton 11y ago
> Well, that and that we should throw people in prison for life after three felonies: Those polls were from 1994 and 1995. The crime rate was way higher then: http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/ldah6rdp6ukvngoyqi1fcg.gif http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Prod...