California was a pioneer in marijuana politics when it placed Proposition 19 on the California ballot during the 2010 Election. Unfortunately, that initiative failed on election day. I was very sad when legalization didn’t make the ballot in 2012 in California, and it appears that sadness will continue through 2014. Hopefully national organizations and local activists can all get on the same page for 2016.
A poll was released recently which found that a slim majority of California voters support marijuana legalization. Below is more info about the poll, which was conducted by PPIC Statewide Survey:
As proponents of marijuana legalization consider another ballot measure, Californians are currently divided on legalizing marijuana: 49 percent say it should be legal, 47 percent say it should not be legal. Among likely voters, a slim majority (53%) say marijuana should be legal, and 44 percent say it should be illegal. Last September, 52 percent of adults and 60 percent of likely voters said it should be legal. Slim majorities of adults said it should be illegal in March 2012 and September 2011 (51% each). In 2010, California adults were divided (September 2010: 47% yes, 49% no; May 2010: 48% yes, 49% no). In a February Pew Research Center survey of adults nationwide, 54 percent said legal, 42 percent said illegal.
Majorities of independents (60%) and Democrats (57%) say marijuana should be legal; 62 percent of Republicans say it should be illegal. Blacks (63%) and whites (57%) say it should be legal, a majority of Latinos say it should be illegal (60%), and Asians are divided (44% yes, 48% no). Younger Californians are much more likely than adults age 35 and older to say it should be legal (64% 18 to 34, 39% 35 to 54, 47% 55 and older). There is majority support for legalizing marijuana in the San Francisco Bay Area (59%) and the Inland Empire (52%), while Central Valley residents are divided (50% yes, 49% no), and majorities of Orange/San Diego (55%) and Los Angeles (52%) residents are opposed.
I was surprised that a majority of Latinos support marijuana prohibition, considering how much they are affected by it. Minorities, Latino or otherwise, are more likely to be a victim of marijuana prohibition. Hopefully people see these results, and do more to educate the Latino population in California.
