Several recent political polls have surveyed support and opposition to legalization of medical marijuana and indicated that Tennessee voters support some form of legalization. Now, a new Tennessee Star poll questioned how the issue may move votes.
Likely Tennessee November general election voters were asked: “Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who supports legalizing the distribution and sale of marijuana in Tennessee if limited to prescribed medical use only?” More than half – 55.4% – responded that they would be MORE likely to vote for a candidate who supports legalization of medical marijuana while only 19.5% were LESS likely to support a candidate favoring legalization of medical marijuana. Only 17.2% said it would make no difference and 7.8% indicated that they were “not sure or didn’t know.”
Tennessee Star political editor Steve Gill points out that while the legalization of medical marijuana may not be a top issue to most voters, the intensity of the issue to those to whom it is important should cause political leaders to pay attention. “Voters are rightly concerned that “medical marijuana” is merely a Trojan Horse means of moving towards legalization of “recreational” drug use, which Tennessee voters continue to overwhelmingly oppose,” Gill says.
“Others point out that they don’t have much confidence that the same medical doctors who have failed to control the abuse of opioid drugs will somehow properly monitor medical marijuana. But a carefully crafted bill that permits limited and REAL medical use of marijuana, particularly in the forms that severely restrict the THC levels that produce the ‘high’ that recreational users seek, could get broad support by voters and therefore legislators.”
The problem for those supporting actual medical marijuana legislation is that the powers and funding behind the efforts are largely coming from groups and individuals who want to secure legalization of recreational pot, Gill adds. “Proponents of recreational pot don’t really want a ‘win’ on the limited medical use by itself because that hampers the momentum for broader legalization,” Gill says, “so those who could benefit from the non-THC medical marijuana prescriptions are essentially being used as hostages by the recreational advocates and funders. Until the two are clearly separated for voters and legislators it is unlikely that quick progress will be made in passing medical marijuana legislation despite these poll numbers.”
Sure, legalize it in tennessee, and before long tourist will be stepping over human crap while the city hires a new department to clean up after them. Davidson county can become another San Fran cess pool. Maybe the competition between marijuana and opiods will drive prices down where anyone can afford to be hooked and families can deteriate to an all time low. Better yet, Maybe child abuse will rise through all of this. Who cares though, they’re just stupid kids sucking the life out of our adult fun right?
Perfect example of willful ignorance. Anybody that can look at the utter failure of the war on drugs, the billions of tax dollars wasted, and jails overflowing yet still want to do more of the same instead of trusting science and what history has shown us will actually work while saving tax dollars instead of wasting them is too stupid, too biased, or both to be allowed any say on the subject.
The survey speaks for itself but Steve Gill’s comments reflect a prohibitionist mindset that ignores science and continues to demonize cannabis (and those of us who find cannabis a safer alternative to tobacco and alcohol—the number one and two causes of preventable death in America).
For example, the entourage effect of all the cannabinoids in the plant provides the greatest medical benefit to the greatest number of patients. Removing or minimizing dreaded THC, reduces the effectiveness of cannabis as medicine. Marinol, the first FDA-approved marijuana medicine is 100% THC, for heaven’s sake, but seldom prescribed because it’s far less effective than whole plant cannabis.
And Steve’s claim that proponents of legal adult use “don’t really want a win” on medical cannabis is preposterous. No state has implemented legal adult use without first experiencing medical use because seeing prohibitionists lied about medical naturally leads voters to questioning lies about adult use.
But the real reason to legalize medical cannabis is because as Dr. Sanjay Gupta put it, “Sometimes marijuana not only works, it’s the only thing that works.” Denying safe and effective medicine to patients is immoral.
Many of those who answered “more likely” want full legalization. It would be valuable to see how Tennesseans see this issue across a continuum of alternatives from no legalization to full legalization. I’d bet that a vast majority of Tennesseans would fall between no legalization to medical uses only.
So let me get this straight, we can get blackout drunk, not remember what happened the night before, ALL FOE RECREATION.
But I can’t smoke a joint and sit on the couch and eat a whole box of cereal?
THIS is a problem.