There’s a shift happening in Louisiana…at least when it comes to supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana. According to results of polling done by the University of New Orleans Survey Research Center, almost 60 percent of registered voters in the state support making cannabis legal. Dr. Ed Chervenak says that’s a 22 percent increase from just four years ago.
“The first several surveys we did, we found the majority of people opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana,” he said. “But now we’re finding a majority in favor of doing that.
Chervenak says Louisiana’s results mirror what’s happening around the nation as attitudes have evolved based on a number of factors…
“In terms of not viewing (marijuana use) as a criminal activity,” said Chervenak. “Also, I think there are a number of people out there who have benefitted from the therapeutic effects of medical marijuana, and people see other states bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.”
A proposal to decriminalize marijuana has moved to the U-S Senate, but what does that mean for Louisiana? Last year House Bill 524 would have done the same; it advanced out of committee before dying on the House floor. Chervenak says the governor has not been a proponent in the past, but now…
“Previously, he’s been against it,” Chervenak said. “But he’s also said he wanted to see how it played out in other states before he made a final decision.”
The percentage of voters in favor of legalization is highest among those 18 to 34 and doesn’t dip below 50 percent in any group up until the ages of 55 and up.
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