GRASS GROWING

Poll Shows Marijuana Support On The Rise

Public support to relax Canada's marijuana laws is rising quickly,
according to a new national poll.

A decisive 83% of respondents to a Sun-Leger poll want pot prohibition to
be less stringent and only 14% said marijuana should remain illegal in all
circumstances.

"It seems that with just 14% now saying it should be illegal, that's really
saying people think changes needed to be made soon in some way, shape or
form," said Leger Marketing pollster Lesli Martin.

The poll comes just as the federal government is preparing legislation
which would decriminalize the possession of small quantities of marijuana,
making it a summary offence instead of a criminal one.

Previous polls in Canada have shown a steady increase in support for
decriminalization and the use of marijuana for medicinal reasons. Nearly
half have supported decriminalizing pot and a majority (around 60%) have
been in favour of marijuana being used medicinally.

Medical Benefits

But to have 83% wanting more relaxed laws was surprising, Martin said,
especially when more than half of the survey respondents had never even
tried the drug.

"I expected the number of people who thought the drug should be illegal to
be higher," Martin said, "I expected people to say, 'I don't smoke pot,
I've never smoked it, I wouldn't smoke it, so it should be illegal' but
that doesn't seem to be the case.

"I think we are getting more and more people who are realizing the medical
benefits and a lot of people who are beginning to think the side effects
perhaps aren't as bad as once thought."

The Sun-Leger poll asked 1,501 people which of four statements best
described their sentiments. Twenty percent said marijuana should be
legalized, 43% said it should be legalized for medical purposes, 20% said
possession should be decriminalized while 14% said the drug should always
be illegal.

Leger Marketing conducted a similar poll two years ago which used a
different question, providing people with only two choices. Respondents
could say they were in favour of a federal law legalizing the sale and use
of pot or they were against it. In that poll, 47% said they were not in
favour of legalizing marijuana.

"I think you can draw a comparison and note that people seem to be more
ready now for changes to legislation," Martin said.

The latest survey also shows a slight increase in the number of people who
have smoked pot. In 2001, 60% of those surveyed said they had never used
marijuana while the latest poll shows now 56% have never lit up. The most
smokers in the country are in B.C. where 53% have tried marijuana at some
time in their life.

The poll of 1,501 Canadians was conducted April 1-6. It is considered
accurate within 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Pot Legalization

Only slightly more than one-in-ten Canadians believe that marijuana use
should be illegal under any circumstance. The greatest portion feel it
should be legalized for medical purposes. Those surveyed were asked, "There
has been much discussion in the government regarding the regulation of
marijuana. Which of the following statements best represents your feelings?":

Should be legalized 20%

Should be legalized for medical purposes 43

Possession decriminalized/Selling a crime 20

Should always be illegal 14

Source: Leger Marketing, The Legalization of Marijuana In Canada Poll, 2003