PROHIBITION II

A Harris poll released in March revealed that a whopping 74 percent of
American adults support legalizing medical marijuana in their state.
Are you listening, Gov. Deal? As you might expect, the numbers were
lower for people endorsing legalized recreational use in their state
- -- 42 percent. Over 3,000 adults across the U.S. were surveyed in Feb.
2011 to obtain these results, which reflected an ABC News-Wasington
Post poll this past January that arrived at similar numbers.

A stat breakdown reflects regionalized values. New England is rapidly
becoming the new hue for medical marijuana in the U.S.: East Coasters
vocalized the highest support for legal medical use in the nation at
80 percent, and just as impressive, 50 percent supported legal
recreational use. The politically open-minded West saw the
second-highest level of support for legal medical pot at 76 percent,
as well as 50 percent in favor of legal recreational use. Support in
the Midwest was slightly lower, at 74 percent for medical, 59 percent
for recreational use, but higher than the conservative South, which
nonetheless surveyed at over 69 percent for medical and 34 for
recreational.

The Harris poll also addressed the effects of ending pot prohibition:
41 percent believe that legalizing pot would decrease the overall
crime rate, and 75 percent said legal pot would generate significant
tax revenue. How high do these pro-pot poll numbers have to climb
before our Georgia state legislators finally decide to wake up and
smell the will of the people?

Buster Jones

Albany