A VERY fascinating poll just came out of Ohio, as reported by Marijuana Moment, that shows more Republican lawmakers in favor of marijuana legalization than Democrat ones. But when you dive into the numbers, things get a little more clear.
43% of Republican lawmakers, compared to 36% of Democrats, are in favor of legal marijuana. This is when asked a binary question of yes or no, and many Democrats are on the fence on the issue, with 50% saying they were undecided.
There are other questions that were asked, and when it came to specifics, most Republican lawmakers proved their ideas of legalization were very narrow.
When asked if citizens should be allowed to grow their own marijuana, 71% of Democrats say yes, while just 21% of Republicans vote affirmatively.
So what’s going on here?
It seems both sides are playing a little bit of politics. The actual statement that has sway is the first one: whether or not marijuana should be legal in the first place. And once that happens, the idea of legalization looks very different between both parties.
It’s easy for the Republicans to say sure, let’s legalize, and that’s that. No need for social equity, private growth, or any additions to the initial legalization. However, Democrats seem to see all of the baggage that legalization would require, which includes most of these categories. Therefore, the hurdle to legalize is higher for them.
Still, it’s shocking to see so many undecided viewpoints on the Democrat side of this issue, especially as the public is repeatedly showing many signs of support. Perhaps these lawmakers are waiting for a topdown approval from their higher levels of command. A nudge from the White House would go a very long way… unfortunate that we have a president who has remained largely silent on the topic.
Read more results of the poll at Marijuana Moment.
