Arizona News Poll Reveals Majority Supports Legal Marijuana

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Arizona Legalization of Marijuana

The Arizona Star recently polled their readers to find out if they supported the initiative of legalizing marijuana in the state.  Shockingly, the majority were in favor of legal marijuana in the state of Arizona.  However, the periodical made sure to note that the study was not scientific and that it only reflected the opinion of those who participated.

Nonetheless, when asked: “Do you believe marijuana should be legal for recreation purposes?” 84% of readers agreed that it should.  When asked: “How would you view the legalization of marijuana? (In terms of the government’s role)” 53% agreed that it was wise and 39% agreed that it would be a satisfactory means of seeking tax revenue.  Finally, when asked: “What effect do you believe legalizing marijuana would have on drug trafficking and its related violence?” 70% thought it would decrease significantly, while only 9% claimed no effect.

For me, the poll reflects the trend of medical and legal marijuana across the US.  It also makes sense, as the “Baby Boomer” generation is now in full control of the reins.  After all, they were also the generation marked by the “hippie” drug culture.  Still, I conclude that these Arizonians, and many others, are oblivious to the realities of legalizing drugs.  I would argue from the slippery slope premise and say that there is a snowball effect.  Basically, you start with allowing medical marijuana, and then it is all together legal, which eventually leads to the legalization of all drugs.

What kills more people per year, illegal drugs or legal drugs and alcohol?  Answer, legal drugs and alcohol.  Of course, common sense would tell us because it is more readily available when legal and less controlled.

  • Jay

    Those are some impressive percentages. Sounds like Arizona is well on its way to joining us in legalizing medical marijuana. AZ citizens, get involved and make sure it happens!

  • Crystal

    legalizing pot is not the end of the world. 49% of people in jail or prison in Arizona are there for drug charges. As far as your comment about people dieing more from legal drugs then illegal drugs, if you could take away the alchol from that equazion then you would have a totally different result. everyday people are out there driving drunk and killing innocent people and babies. if anything alchol cause rage and a fighting instint in most people where as pot gives people the munchies and makes you laugh and relax. i personally do not use pot but am a clear advocate for it to be legal. it would increase the states income just as it has in other states and at this point Arizona is in a financial crisis.

  • Joe

    Marijauna should be legal beverywhere. There are in fact no Weed related deaths known to date, except those linked to a dangerous behavior. Weed kills no brain cells!!! Only the lack of oxygen to the brain does. That means when you go swimming and hold your breath under water, it kills about the same number of brain cells. My solution, make holding your breath Illeagal. It causes more harm than weed. So if weed isn’t legalized soon, I wanna see holding your breath made illegal.

  • Vanessa

    In all respect and honesty alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs kill more people than the Marijuana plant. I have worked in the medical field and have seen many patients die from kidney to liver failure because of all the FDA approved medications. If we as Arizonans can legalize marijuana I guarantee you the drug cartels in Mexico and the United states will lose mass amount of their income, because it is their largest seller. Another fact is that Arizona is in debt, do to very bad management of funds and to tell you the truth the tourist marketing is horrid. If we could legalize this plant and tax it like alcohol and tobacco we could lift up our economy and focus on more major issues as other more harmful man made drugs that are becoming more abundant such as crystal meth. We can also use the money for our schooling system since we are practically the most ignorant state in America. If this offends you I apologize, but all you have to do is look at our school rankings and our state debt. Now I keep hearing how harmful this plant is, but I have never heard of a fatality. How many people do you know have died of alcoholic, tobacco or man made prescription deaths?

  • Jacqueline

    There are absolutely NO deaths due to marijuana itself. Marijuana does not kill brain cells, can’t cause cancer, it’s a plant for christ sake! Alcohol, is legal, and alcohol kills more people every year, liver problems, liver failure, drunk drivers, etc. If marijuana was legal to use at minimum possession, the country could therefore eventually minimize the death rate, the violence, and the tax rate due to thousands in jail for weed. Not to mention, less states would be going brankrupt eating everything out of everyone’s pocket, because let’s face it, marijuana would be taxed to all hell. Legalizing marijuana would help this country, way more than prescription drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

  • Beth

    Marijuana should be legalized! Cigarettes kill people not weed. Medical issues should be the only acception. Like For people with chronic depression and have sever anger issues, or anorexia for those who can’t eat. Cancer patients that have pain.

  • 420 man

    marijuana should be legal everywhere. It should be up to you if you want to get high or not. it should not be up to some a$$holes making weed illegal because they think its bad. people need to stop labeling cannabis as a drug because it is just a plant. also if cannabis were legal it would create lots of jobs and it will create lots of revenue.

  • Ash

    Vanessa is right. What is the number one drug that kills people? Tobacco, closely followed by Alcohol, so saying that legalizing marijuana will open the gait for more legalizing of harder drugs is kind of bs when marijuana is a relatively soft drug compared to alcohol. The reason it was placed as illegal to start with was because in the early 90′s it was an attempt to drive out or imprison Mexican and Mexican-American workers due to job shortages. What started off as a job war, turned into a drug war.

  • JC

    Marijuana is a name forced into the gullible, 1930s (war of the worlds) American mind. Using an obscure slang word allowed lawmakers/powerbrokers to pass the 1937 tax act banning hemp for fuel, food, medicine & fiber without letting people know they were banning hemp. Marijuana lies are used to keep the hemp industry down to this day.

    Remember alcohol prohibition? Crime rates soared; we had Al Capone, people died from bathtub gin, violence/murder were common to citizens & police. Now even law enforcement has had enough. L.E.A.P, Law Enforcement against Prohibition, a group of current/former federal-local law enforcement & judges/prosecutors believe the bankrupt policy of prohibition is ineffective & does more harm than good.

    The land of the free, you can (yr 2000 deaths)
    Use cigarettes: 435,000
    Eat unhealthy/Not exercise: 365,000
    Use alcohol (85,000)
    Use prescription meds: 32,000
    Own guns: 29,000
    But, not use cannabis: 0

    Life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness? Only deadly, U.S. approved happiness.
    The U.S. is 5% of the world’s population & has 25% of the world’s prisoners. 2008 cannabis arrests: 847,864. This clogs our legal system & allows violent convicts early parole to make room for newly convicted, nonviolent cannabis user

  • Larry Powell

    I cannot understand why Methadone is even allowed with its reputation of side effects and death potential,
    legal Marijuana would give those with pain disorders and such an other option from these side effects, And damage to the body such as liver/kidneys failure.
    MARIJUANA needs to be legal Please help with your vote.

  • Kory

    I am for the legalization of marijuana because i feel that alcohol not only creates problems with family and friends when marijuana makes people interact socially safely other than trying to talk with someone who is drunk and has no clue what they are doing. Also it would bring good revenue for this beautiful state and make it more better for patients to have another option other than taking pills that may cause internal damage for the user. Their has been no record of anyone dying or others around them when they are under the influence of marijuana. The only problem with marijuana is the profit that gangs and cartels are making off of it at this moment but we can change it and that money could go to our state’s financial problems that we have occurred over the years.

  • James Rogers

    It should be legalized the reason it was made illegal in the 1st place was complete bull shit to begin with its a harmless drug and every one can agree that crime rate would go down and arizona state funds will go up imagine all the money they wouldent have to spend hunting down crops and kicking in doors for somthing so harmless

  • http://www.thenablog.com karlee Fucking Melland

    Legalize the plant LETS FREE THIS HERE NATION PLEASE N THANK YOU

  • http://awaokwawaojozi9 Walker Texas Ranger stagename

    let’s look at the other side of this aspect. when alcohol became legal it took this nation out of the last depression it can do the same is if it becomes legal. imagine the revenue and jobs created by this. it can also be controlled as the way liqour is being done. same kind of tickets for being under the influence in public ,driving, etc., ..

  • June

    It is the older people who saw their young people grow up in the “free love” days and the horrific propaganda of “Refer Madness” that has put fear into the use of marijuana. Now that medical marijuana has become legal in the state and patients that have terminal illnesses and constant pain that maybe the newfound medical use will open a new eye to the bennifits of the herb. And there porbably is a prowling bunch of lobbyists that work for pharmisutical companies. And that is a hard battle for the average Joe who finds the herb to work for extreme pain. Pills, pills and more pills. NOT GOOD! Oh ya, our senators wife is from a family that has made millions selling alcohol. It isn’t any secret how detrimental alcohol is to our society.