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Who Are the Conservatives That Support Cannabis?

Kelly Weimert

December 23rd, 2016

Policy, Top Story

No matter on which side of the political spectrum a legislator falls, cannabis legalization is a topic lawmakers on every side are now being regularly confronted with. Republicans, Democrats and everyone in between are having to come to terms with their beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about future legislation on marijuana reform as it continues to gain steam across the country.

A large population of democratic voters and legislators have been clear about their stance on the issue, the majority desiring lawful medical marijuana, at minimum. Republicans’ cannabis positions, on the other hand, are far more variable, but they, too, seem to be trending in favor of reform.

That said, if you’re looking to understand what the future of cannabis legalization will look like, it’s important to first understand both historical and present-day trends across all parties.

What do the numbers say?

For the past 47 years, support for cannabis legalization has been a growing trend in the United States, with current support reaching 60% among the general public—the highest level it’s been in Gallup’s 47-year trend.

In 1969, only 12% of Americans supported cannabis legalization, but by the year 2000, 31% voiced support, and it’s been steadily on the rise ever since. As a result, 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing cannabis in some form or fashion, and eight of those states have adopted laws that support its recreational use.

With regard to beliefs across party lines, when compared to Democrats, Republican cannabis support is significantly lower, with only 42% supporting legalization compared to 67% of Democrats. However, Republican support has more than doubled in just the past decade, so it’s not a stretch to say that they also appear to be trending in favor of legalization.

As far as stances within the Republican party, there is significant division on the issue with 63% of moderate and liberal Republicans favoring legalization and 62% of conservative Republicans opposing it. Some speculate that as older members of congress begin to age out, this will lessen the divide as the most conservative members of congress tend to be older than their more moderate counterparts.

What about the DEA?

Despite growing, widespread national support for cannabis legalization, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) decided this year that they will not remove the classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug—a classification that puts it in the same group as heroin and cocaine in terms of its danger to users and threat to the community–stating that more research is required to reduce it to a Schedule II classification..

However, the DEA has lifted a critical research ban and agreed, for the first time, to allow universities and private companies to pursue research to better study the potential benefits of the drug, which will likely result in more reform in the future as these benefits become more concrete.

What about future leadership?

President-elect Donald Trump’s official stance on cannabis legalization has wavered over the years. In 1990 he called drug enforcement efforts by the US “a joke”, stating that all drugs should be legalized to “take the profit away from these drug czars.”

Presently, however, Trump’s position on marijuana has shifted. When asked about Colorado’s recreational legalization he said, “I say it’s bad” but feels that “medical marijuana is another thing” for which he is in favor of “100 percent.” With respect to broader policy, Trump believes the decision to legalize is not a federal issue and should be left up to the state.

Trump’s oscillation on the matter makes it difficult to say what impact his presidency will have on legalization, but choosing Mike Pence as his running mate might offer some clues.

Mike Pence’s stance on marijuana reform is clear: he’s against it. He’s voted against cannabis legalization several times while urging legislators to increase penalties for illegal possession.

Despite a mixed bag of stances across parties and leadership, when taking into consideration historical trends, present party stances, and individual positions, most signs point to growing support for cannabis legalization, in some form or another, now and in the future.

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This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Kelly Weimert

Kelly is a full-time freelance writer based in Austin, TX. A happy hybrid of geek and hippie, when she's not nestled into her couch crankin' out crafty prose with her miscreant Chihuahua, you can find her frolicking outside to keep her sanity in check.

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