America’s War on Drugs, which officially dates back to the Nixon Administration, has not aged well. Time has pulled back the curtain on the policies of the War on Drugs to reveal a quagmire of racist thinking and moral panic. It’s now widely believed that Nixon deliberately played on the fears Americans had about the impacts of drugs on the family to target anti-war protestors and Black people.
In the 1970s, the panic about drugs faded a bit, but it returned with a vengeance under the Reagan Administration. First Lady Nancy Reagan famously focused on the dangers of drug use with her “Just Say No” campaign, and the President implemented mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug crimes. Both policies were instrumental in demonizing drug use in the public eye, and that attitude spread to include cannabis.
When it comes to cannabis legalization and acceptance, the moral panic has been one of the greatest barriers we as a society have had to overcome. But now, after many years of struggling against misinformation, it looks as if we may, at last, be clearing that hurdle.
The good news comes from a Gallup Poll conducted earlier this year. The poll surveyed Americans about their views on the moral acceptability of a variety of issues. It is a survey that Gallup has conducted annually for the past 20 years.
When broken down by political ideology, it’s unsurprising that the majority of self-identified liberals surveyed felt that there was no moral issue involved in cannabis use—specifically, 83% shared this view. What’s perhaps more surprising is that, at 51%, more than half of all conservatives surveyed felt the same way. Of all the topics covered in the poll, only twelve others were able to generate that kind of agreement across party lines
Overall, cannabis use ranked as less morally permissible than only five other ideas—the use of birth control, alcohol, divorce, sex between an unmarried man and woman, and gambling. Cannabis use ranked as more accepted than fifteen other issues, among them homosexuality, the death penalty, stem cell research, and having a baby outside of marriage.
As an interesting side note, the survey specifically asked about the morality of smoking cannabis, as opposed to using it in any of its many other forms. The survey also used the word “marijuana” instead of “cannabis,” which might have been perceived as a more loaded term by some respondents. It is unclear what effect these two factors had, if any, on the results of the survey.
So what does this mean for the issue of cannabis legalization?
It’s difficult to say. Although this particular survey did not gather opinions about the matter, another Gallup Poll conducted in October of 2019 asked respondents where they stood on the matter of cannabis legalization. In that poll, 66% of respondents indicated that they supported legalization. This number has increased steadily over time. When first asked about cannabis legalization, back in 1969, only 12% of Americans claimed to support legalization.
What that means, very clearly, is that we as a nation are moving in the right direction. We are coming to accept that there is no moral problem with cannabis use, and that cannabis may even prove itself beneficial for Americans dealing with such issues as chronic pain, anxiety, seizures, and sleeplessness. We’ve come a long way from the moral panic of the 1960s. And while we still have a long way to go before cannabis is treated as it should be in society, we can all feel confident that we’re moving in the right direction.
Looking to find your medical cannabis in a state that hasn’t yet legalized it? It may be tempting to drive across neighboring state lines with more cannabis-friendly laws. However, the number of states that will authorize qualified patients from out-of-state medical marijuana programs is still relatively small. Which States Accept Out-of-State MMJ Cards? States That…
The war on drugs facilitated by the federal government has been an utter failure. Despite cannabis remaining a Schedule I classification according to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), meaning that it has no medicinal value, over 30 states in the United States have legalized it for its medicinal use. While this classification will remain…
Gone are the days when cannabis was just an occasional treat—today, it’s a powerful source of holistic healing. According to a 2021 review published in Current Neuropharmacology, targeting the endocannabinoid system with CBD may offer those affected by borderline personality disorder newfound relief and understanding about managing their condition. What Is Borderline Personality Disorder? Borderline…
Bipolar disorder is a complex condition that impacts millions worldwide, leading to extreme mood swings, intense emotional episodes, and difficulty managing day-to-day life. But there may be some good news for those coping with this mental health issue. According to recent research, cannabis could offer unique benefits as part of an approach to managing bipolar…
Three different types of cannabidiol (CBD) oils produced by Charlotte’s Web have been banned by British regulators. The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) has also disqualified approximately 100 CBD products for undisclosed reasons. In 2018, legislation was passed by the British Parliament that effectively legalized cannabinoids like CBD and CBDA. Despite the law’s passing, CBD…
We sat down with the team at TerraLeaf, a medical cannabis dispensary servicing West Virginia, to ask them the Veriheal 5—five questions…
As cannabis enthusiasts, we’re all too familiar with the stigma surrounding its use and the hoops that have to be jumped through…
A national survey showed that cannabis is America’s “illicit drug” of choice, medical professionals released the first ever cannabis consumer-specific anesthesia guidelines,…