In the wake of Jeff Sessions rescinding the Cole memo and attempting to reignite the failing war on cannabis in America, many politicians and citizens alike have come out in defiance of the archaic approach to law enforcement. Now, we have tangible evidence Americans are not in favor of Sessions and the Department of Justice (DOJ) unwinding years of drug policy reform progress.
According to a poll conducted by HuffPost and YouGov shortly after the DOJ announced new federal prosecution guidelines for marijuana at the state level, 56 percent of Americans surveyed said they are opposed to the federal government interfering with states that have legalized cannabis for either medical or recreational purposes.
Additionally, respondents believe fairly overwhelmingly that marijuana laws should not be determined at the federal level, with only 32 percent agreeing that federal law should rule the issue.
In case anyone was worried that all 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed are marijuana users, 74 percent said they had not consumed cannabis in the last year.
Regardless of smoking history, 55 percent of Americans surveyed believe marijuana should be legal at both the state and federal levels. Other polls have found even higher rates of national support, with a recent Gallup Poll finding a majority of Republicans want prohibition to cease.
Even with updated prosecution guidance from Sessions and the DOJ for U.S. Attorneys across the country, many lawmakers have come out and said their priorities will not change as they continue to focus time and resources on issues that truly danger the people in their jurisdictions, such as violent crime and the opioid crisis.
Photo courtesy of Allie Beckett
