One Out of Two Americans (Almost) Agree: Legalize It!

A Zogby poll commissioned by NORML finds that almost half of Americans (46 percent) think the federal government should "let states legally regulate and tax marijuana the way they do liquor and gambling." NORML says majorities on the East and West Coasts (53 percent and 55 percent, respectively) favored this policy, which presumably means it was decisively rejected in the middle of the country.

Repealing the federal marijuana ban was especially popular among Jews (70 percent), nonreligious people (60 percent), and Democrats (59 percent). Oddly, only 85 percent of Libertarians were in favor; maybe the remaining 15 percent objected to the taxing and regulating part of the proposal.