Two polls show support for legal marijuana waning in Colorado, nationally

Dear All,

The Citizens in Colorado and nationwide are saying to the world that they have seen enough, have had enough, and are saying “NO” to the lies promoted by the pro-pot advocates as the polls are now showing.

The folks realize that “marijuana legalization is a sour lemon for their communities” and are saying “NO” to marijuana and the:

1.     extreme anti-social and anarchic behaviors and dangerous hallucinating incidents like arguing with imaginary demon's while loitering in front of businesses on downtown sidewalks and threatening unprovoked shoppers with harm,

2.     drawing thousands of dope addicts and homeless from other states to theirs for the sole purpose of abusing drugs while relying on expensive government health and social programs at the huge expense to the taxpayers of their state much less the aggressive pan-handling and begging on the street corners so they can afford to buy their dope,

3.     insidious criminal activities seeping in from Mexican and Latin American Drug Cartels selling their black market marijuana, cocaine, heroin, illegal guns and much more into their communities and targeting their children,

4.      increased drug addiction to marijuana causing increasing drug rehabilitation costs as thousands of more beds are needed at their rehab and mental health facilities to meet the needs of their growing number of drug addicts; including a growing number of children as young as 8 years of age

5.     Increasingly dangerous drugged driving accidents on the streets of their communities and highways,

6.     huge increases of their teens and younger children abusing marijuana at the detriment of their education, their futures, and permanent damage to their developing brains.

Yes, these two recent polls are showing us that the folks of America are now becoming wise to the truth that “marijuana is a very dangerous drug”.

 Ron Kirkish, CDFC/IFBC/CALM

Two polls show support for legal marijuana waning in Colorado, nationally

http://gazette.com/two-polls-show-support-for-legal-marijuana-waning-in-colorado-nationally/article/1538438#89PujBX4I44OCarC.99

By Carol McGraw Updated: September 29, 2014 at 5:37 am

It might be characterized as a couple of "I told you so" victories for those who oppose the legalization of marijuana.

Two recent polls show that support of legalized marijuana have waned, and that there is unhappiness in the way regulations are handled by the state.

A Suffolk University/USA Today poll found that about half of Coloradans are not happy with the new marijuana law and how it is administered.

"Although it's a close split overall, opposition comes mainly from women statewide who oppose it 56 percent to 41 percent and additional push back from voters over 55 years of age," Dave Paleologos, director of the Boston-based Suffolk University Political Research Center, noted on the center's website.

"This is offset by younger voters between 18 and 45 who still support it by a 20-point margin."

Numbers show that 49 percent of those polled, do not approve of how the state is managing pot, compared with 42 percent who approve.

Another poll last week, by the Public Religion Research Institute, says national support for legalized marijuana has fallen from 51 percent in 2013 to 44 percent this year.

The drop was concentrated among those who had favored marijuana, but not those who strongly favored legalization.

Opposition increased among those who strongly opposed legal marijuana, according to the Sept. 23 American Values Survey 2014 conducted by PRRI.

Diane Carlson,a founder of Smart Colorado, which campaigned against Amendment 64, says there needs to be more enforcement and also preventive education for kids.

"This has been an incredibly complicated and daunting task for the state," she said.

"And unfortunately certain municipalities moved forward before protections could be put in place."

Colorado started selling recreational marijuana Jan. 1, becoming the first state to do so, although it is illegal at the federal level.

Voters approved the initiative in 2012 by a vote of 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent against.

State voters approved medical marijuana in 2000.

Since then polls have come fast and furious, and they are fickle.

For example, an NBC/Maris poll this summer said 55 percent of adults favor the legal status.

Rachel Gillette, executive director of Colorado NORML (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws), said the plethora of polls should be taken with a grain of salt.

"None of them can be counted on for complete accuracy," she said.

But bottom line, all this polling doesn't change anything.

Andrew Freedman,the governor's director of marijuana coordination, said in an email, "Polls may differ on support for marijuana throughout Colorado.

In the end, there's really only one poll that matters: Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing use and sale of recreational marijuana."

He added, "While the governor and others initially opposed Amendment 64, this is no longer a political issue - Democracy demands carrying out the will of the voters and implementing marijuana legalization as fairly, efficiently, effectively and safely as possible."

Skyler McKinley, deputy director of marijuana coordination, added that it's too early for a definitive evaluation.

"It's not all been successful, but in specific areas we are doing very well."

McKinley said from day one there was a strong regulatory oversight system in place that focused on youth prevention, public safety and public health.

And the state created a comprehensive tax structure that pays for the regulation and education.

One thing is for sure: Sales are puffing along.

Figures released by the state Department of Revenue this month show that recreational pot outsold medical marijuana for the first time in July.

Dispensaries generated $29.7 million in sales versus $28.9 million for medical marijuana, according to Marijuana Business Daily, which projects that Colorado could have a quarter billion dollars in total marijuana sales this year.

"It's a great social experiment," Gillette said. "Reform takes time.

You don't go out of the box perfectly.

We will have lessons to be learned along the way."