Federalism, Marijuana, and Public Opinion
On Thursday, Washington became the first state to officially legalize marijuana, soon to be followed by Colorado as their new laws legalizing the drug for recreational use go into effect. A survey out Friday shows what Americans want the federal government to do about the states whose drug laws clash with national laws: Leave them alone.
Fifty-one percent of Americans in the new HuffPost/YouGov poll said that in the two states that have legalized marijuana use for adults, the federal government should exempt any adults following state laws from federal drug law enforcement. Only 30 percent said the federal government should enforce its drug laws in those states in the same way it does in any other state.
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The New York Times, Micah Cohen observes:
The YouGov poll is just one data point, and more polling will yield a fuller picture. But a portion of American adults who oppose the legalization of marijuana may also be partial to states’ rights, and those two impulses are in tension here.
