Republican Support for Cannabis Legalization is at Its Highest

A new poll conducted by YouGov has found that there has been a substantial shift in opinion on legalizing cannabis by Republicans. The poll states that 45 percent of Republicans believe that cannabis use by adults should be legalized on a nationwide scale (and 42 percent believing it should not be legalized). Only 13 percent of Republicans were “not sure.”

YouGov conducted the same survey in December 2015, with Republicans opposed 50 percent to 36 percent. In January 2014, they were opposed 60 percent to 28 percent. While the change is drastic, other polls still show that Republican attitude towards cannabis legalization has changed very little. According to Medical Marijuana Inc., 43 percent of Republicans view cannabis as a gateway drug, and 54 percent believe that the cost to enforce cannabis laws isn’t worth the effort or money. These stats show that Republicans believe that cannabis should be legalized, but only because the war on drugs and prohibition is unsuccessful.

“The reality is, despite harsh penalties, nearly $8 billion per year of law enforcement funding, and a six-fold increase in the nation’s prison population, the rate of marijuana use has held steady since the 1970s,” says an excerpt from the Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition website. “Similar to alcohol prohibition, a black-market in the drug trade provides immense profits to criminals and a trail of violence in their wake.”

With many Republicans on board, and also 63 percent of Democrats who are also in support of legalizing cannabis in a separate poll, it seems that opposition to legalization is quickly dwindling. With multiple states vying for legalization initiatives on the ballots, it will certainly make this year’s ballot one for the books.