By Phil Gregory, WBGO News
April 15, 2014
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Support for lower marijuana penalties in New Jersey is increasing, but voters are divided on whether to completely legalize it.
David Redlawsk is director of the Rutgers-Eagleton poll. He says two-thirds of voters now support reducing the penalties for possessing small amounts of pot. That’s a sharp increase from the 40 percent who felt that way four decades ago.
“Younger people have come in and older people have disappeared. So that folks who were 18 to 29 years old back in 1972 were strongly in favor of eliminating penalties for possession of marijuana. Those folks who are now in their 60’s and 70’s remain strongly in favor.”
Redlawsk says there’s far less support for a bill awaiting action in the legislature that calls for legalizing the sale and recreational use of marijuana.
“When you start asking about complete legalization, you begin bringing in people’s minds bigger issues surrounding drugs more generally. So they’re more reticent about that even though they think that we shouldn’t necessarily impose severe criminal penalties on marijuana.”
Redlawsk says the potential for significant state revenue from legalization is not having a big influence on voter opinion.
“Now that Colorado is apparently ranking in a pretty good penny from taxes on marijuana, a lot of people are talking about should we do the same. When we say, hey, is this a good reason for raising lots of money for the state, voters remain basically split.”
Governor Christie has insisted that legalizing marijuana is not the right thing for New Jersey, and he says it won’t happen while he’s in office.
© 2014 WBGO News
Voters Support Lower Penalties For Marijuana Possession | WBGO Jazz 88.3FM
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