Now, having majority support doesn't guarantee anything. Look at Prop 8.
But we are seeing clear trends emerge here, and seeing local TV news in California asking whether or not this ballot will bring out the youth vote. Critics have held that 2010 is an off year to try to pass this, and we should wait until 2012.
The charge that cannabis will backfire by bringing more GOPers to the polls is not a strong argument. In the western US, cannabis has bipartisan support, actually. In this Survey USA poll, 46% of Repubs said 'yes' to legalizing it. The Millennials overwhelmingly support legalization (and we happen to be the future of this broken country)
Having LEAP come on board (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) to help pass this ballot is helpful, because the bullshit that the CCPOA and law enforcement have been feeding California- whether it's the three strikes law or drug war lies- is corrosive and expensive. It's time to stop letting a greedy and corrupt prison-industrial complex bleed the state dry.
The question is: will the youth vote turnup? In this day and age of instant communication and information, I'm leaning towards 'yes'. The Obama election itself was a referendum on whether or not young people would turnout. Many of the same cannabis naysayers are the same folks who sat around in 2008 saying "No, you can't" instead of "Yes, we can".
So can we? Let's look at what demographics need to be targeted, because this thing is far from over:
Age 18-34: 74% yes, 25% no
35-49: 46% yes, 50% no
50-64: 49% yes, 49% no
65+: 39% yes, 54% no
Men: 65% yes, 32% no
Women: 46% yes, 51% no
Republicans: 46% yes, 53% no
Democrats: 59% yes, 37% no
Independents: 62% yes, 36% no
Hispanics were the only racial category to oppose the measure (45% in favor, 53% oppose)
In the survey usa poll, only 3% were undecided. Obviously, in addition to the youth vote, we need to target women/Hispanics in the campaign.
The lies and misinformation and racist reefer madness are nothing new. Truth is the best disinfectant, and we've barely even used any yet in the national debate. And for Baby Boomers: sure, you can plunk down $100 and get your prop 215 card. But sometime in your lifetime, wouldn't it be nice to see the truth win out over a lie? That's my reasoning.
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Biggest surprise: Generation X's soft support of cannabis. Maybe that Reagan-era bud was crap? The early 80's is when cannabis shifted from outdoor, uppy-sativas to hydroponic indoor grow-ops to hide from cops, and also to produce short, dense indica plants with VERY high yield (and a narcotic-like downer stone).
The cultivation of herb itself transformed from an outdoor, hippy-vibe of the 70s "Golden Age of Marijuana" to a more industrialized, narcotic-esque 80's drug production.