Americans Want More Restrictions On Lots Of Things, But Not Cannabis
Cannabis reform has no doubt gained momentum for several years. With a growing number of conservatives offering support in recent years, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that Americans want cannabis laws to be less restrictive.
As recent polling suggests, Americans feel that cannabis is over-regulated. At the same time, respondents think that many other business segments could benefit from more oversight.
As reported by Marijuana Moment's Kyle Jaeger, a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll of just over 2,000 registered voters found that a large majority want to see marijuana deregulated or at least less regulated. Results found that 45% of poll respondents wanted to see fewer regulations, and 22% preferred the status quo. While the tide is starting to favor cannabis, 33% wanted to see more rules on cannabis.
Most respondents preferred additional regulations on a wide range of topics spanning coal, crypto, electric vehicles and social media.
The latest results further prove that America is warming to cannabis reform or deregulation. True, a third of the country still believes punishment and more vigorous enforcement are needed. Still, much of the public understands that cannabis is not the public threat it had been portrayed as over several decades.
For the past several years, we have hoped to see federal reform in the form of criminal justice, SAFE banking or something more comprehensive. Those hopes were once again dashed during the 2022 lame duck period. Still, America made progress when the Biden administration signed off on a research bill. The move tracks with his campaign claim to approve research and then possible decriminalization. Advocates would like to see more from him and Congress, but it is a start for the federal government. That may not be the most satisfying answer to hear. Still, with the government and its checks and balances meant to create an incremental lawmaking process, cannabis reform will likely have to continue trudging uphill.
The uncertainty of federal lawmaker action underscores the importance of ongoing advocacy. Whether supporting SAFE Banking, criminal justice reform and or otherwise, everyone must continue showing up and advocating for reform. Taking part in marches, rallies and signing drives are ways to get involved. Other effective measures include reaching out to your local and national lawmakers. It may seem like a drop in the hat, but regularly contacting your lawmakers can help move the needle on an issue if enough people participate.
No matter how you feel about the future of cannabis reform, one thing for sure is that we all remain in limbo for the time being. As we await action, people continue to be criminalized for cannabis in certain states and on the federal level. Meanwhile, cannabis businesses continue to suffer from banking and tax deduction restrictions.
While it is certainly easy to look at the downside, we should reiterate the positives. Progress is gradually happening on the federal level and states continue to legalize. Meanwhile, the public is increasingly on board with change. In time, reform will occur. Let's hope sooner rather than later.
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