Smoke Up, America!

A majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, according to new polling from the Pew Research Center.

Fifty-two percent of respondents say they support legalization compared to 45 percent who oppose it. That’s a 12-point swing in just three years. In 2010, 50 percent of Americans opposed legalization compared to just 45 percent who supported it. Going back further, a whopping 84 percent of Americans opposed legalization in 1969 – compared to just 12 percent who supported it.

Talk about an issue whose time has come …

FITS has consistently argued in favor of legalizing marijuana – and other drugs. We’ve also railed repeatedly on the federal government’s costly, dangerous (and failing) “War on Drugs.”

Of course “Republicans” – who are supposed to support limited government and expanded individual freedom – still overwhelmingly oppose legalization. According to the Pew study, 60 percent of GOP voters oppose legalization compared to 37 percent who support it.

Yet another sad commentary on the party of “personal responsibility …”

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