70% Americans Including Kamala Harris, Trump Support Legalizing Marijuana

While the Odisha government has recently shown its wrath on bhang, both major presidential candidates in the US, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have hinted support for a federal policy change to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

Marijuana is still illegal under the federal law of the US. But in recent past public approval of marijuana has increased significantly. Several states in the US have allowed legal sell of marijuana in stores.

While in the US, possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and jail, many states have abolished their own marijuana penalties.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia — representing 53% of the US population have legalised marijuana. Seven US states have removed jail sentences for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Now a total 38 US states and District of Columbia permit the medical use of marijuana.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate supports decriminalization of marijuana. Harris has said that it’s “absurd” to classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate posted on social media he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug”. He has also declared to vote in favour of a Florida ballot proposal to legalise recreational marijuana.

The Florida ballot would allow recreational sales of marijuana to people over 21 from existing medical marijuana dispensaries. The proposal needs at least a 60% vote to pass. It would take effect six months after voter approval.

In a Galop poll in 2023, around 70% of American adults supported legalization of marijuana.

According to a survey in the US published earlier this year, an estimated 17.7 million people used marijuana daily or near-daily in 2022. It was less than 1 million people in 1992. It means that the number of Americans who use marijuana just about every day surpassed the number of persons who drink that often.