Legalize Pot Poll: Majority of Americans Favor Legalization, Says Pew Research Center
A recently published Pew Research Center poll has found for the first time that a majority of Americans now favor legalizing marijuana. The poll comes after two states adopting measures to legalize the recreational use of the drug.
The Pew poll collected nationwide samples and showed that 52 percent of respondents came out in favor of supporting measures legalizing marijuana, with 45 percent revealing they are still against legalization efforts in the country.
This is the first time in over 40 years of that a poll showed a reversal in the national attitude concerning marijuana legalization.
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But the reversal of the national attitude is fairly recent, as younger generations become more active in the public square, given that only a decade ago only around a third of adults supported legalizing marijuana. To place that in perspective, in 1969 only 12 percent favored legalizing marijuana use, according to Pew Research Center.
Not surprisingly, the demographic with the highest support for legalization is found among millenials, with nearly two-thirds in favor. Older generations such as baby boomers are also shifting towards legalization, with half of their members in that generation supporting marijuana legalization.
But Christian Medical Association CEO David Stevens maintains that Christians should stand up in the face of societal pressure to promote a sound cultural presence.
"We should be talking; we should be speaking out … We should be good citizens; we should be standing up for the greater good and marijuana is not the greater good," Stevens previously said in a statement.
Stevens says legalized marijuana will mean increased usage among adolescents. Adolescents using marijuana, he says, suffer a number of side effects such as decreased focus, isolation and even psychological dysfunction.
"We know adolescents who use marijuana regularly experience higher rates of depression," noted Stevens. He also says marijuana is a "gateway" drug, meaning it may lead to use of other more potent drugs.
