Poll Watch: 41 Per Cent Support Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana
Forty-one percent (41%) of likely U.S. voters think the United States should legalize and tax marijuana to help solve the nation’s fiscal problems.
However, nearly half (49%) oppose this idea, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
These results show little difference from a survey conducted in February that asked Americans about legalization only. At that time, 40% said marijuana should be legalized, but 46% disagreed.
While little movement has been made on the federal level, cash-strapped states – most notably California – have taken the idea of legalizing and taxing the drug into consideration. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state assemblymen are calling for a discussion on the proposal as a means to not only increase tax revenue for the state but to free up large sums of money invested in the legal system as a result of the War on Drugs.
California voters are evenly divided on the issue. A recent survey found that 45% support legalizing and taxing marijuana to help solve the state’s financial problems, while 46% are opposed to the idea.
A novel idea that pot could help California’s budget problems but it legalization and taxation will not occur anytime soon. In the meantime, California is racking up some serious budget deficits.
So, if anyone thinks marijuana will help California with its government financing operations, they are just blowing smoke.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marijuana
4 Comments
Marek
If there are budget deficits, taxation of M. is the last thing to do. There are some examples in Europe, but we are still far away.
Tai Nguyen
Forget the health and financial angles. Outside of protecting our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, government has no business interfering in adults’ lives, period.
Repeal prohibition! Again.
Eugene Spuglio
I lived in So. Cal before NAFTA and GATT, only make it legal if grown in CA farms and not imported. The truth is that NAFTA and GATT destroyed the CA economy and the US economy. I went from $17+ an hour, 40 hours a week and bennifits including major medical, and the rest of the package before NAFTA to $8.00 an hour, 60 hour work week and no bennifits. The landlord or the supermarkets and PG&E did not say we will cut you a break, instead I had to move home to Pennsylvania and move in with my dad. Sad day for America when we stop looking out for us. Two canables are eating a clown the one canable said to the other, he tastes funny. The moral of the story is the canables are the corporations and we the people are the clowns. We are a service economy now, but the truth is we are slaves to the corporation and the government that has enslaved us to this consept.
MrBuds
I think having marijuana’s legalization on the 2010 ballot is a good thing. It would be really more of a victory for privacy and freedom than anything. Its funny how so many people are against marijuana and it’s true marijuana can have negative effects both short term and long term with repeated use or “missuse.” Although it is currently classified as a schedule 1 narcotic it does poses positive attributes when certain things are considered. Websites like http://mrbuds.com are a great resource when considering the pros of medical marijuana. When compared with other schedule 1 narcotics marijuanas negative effects pale in comparison and some people argue that marijuana has less negative effects as alcohol , a legal drug. So make up your own mind and do a little research.