| Graphic: BookRags |
| CNN reported that only 41 percent of “American adults” support marijuana legalization — but they didn’t ask anyone under 35. |
CNN.com on Tuesday released results from interviews with 824 “adult Americans” asking their opinions in the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage. But there was one big problem. They left out a big section of “adult Americans” — everyone under 35.
In response to the question, “Do you favor or oppose the legalization of marijuana?” 41 percent of “adults” said they favor it, 56 percent opposed, and 2 percent had no opinion, reports J. Grant at Our Time.
While American adults tend to be divided on controversial topics like this, what is disturbing is that CNN.com posted these results despite the fact that they include no respondents between the ages of 18 and 34.
“Regardless of your opinion, you have a right to have an opinion, and for that opinion to be factored into poll results by one of the most trafficked news sites in America,” Grant wrote. “Since 18- to 34-year-olds were kept out of the conversation entirely, this is not an accurate poll and should not be labeled as such.
Younger Americans, especially those 18 to 35, tend to be a little more open-minded about cannabis, and more focused on individual freedoms than their older counterparts.
California’s Proposition 19, during the 2010 election, showed huge support among young voters for cannabis legalization.
“Support was strongest among voters between 18 and 24, who went for it 64 percent to 36 percent,” reported John Hoeffel at the Los Angeles Times. “Voters between 25 and 29 narrowly backed it, 52 percent to 48 percent. But voters under 30 made up just 13 percent of the electorate, about the same as is typical in a midterm election. In presidential election years, these voters are at least 20 percent of the turnout.”
Our Time invites you to visit them on Facebook and tell them what you think about marijuana and about gay marriage.
“If we match CNN’s 824 respondents, we’ll let them know what the results would have been, if they had asked us what we think,” Grant said.
For CNN’s complete poll results, click here [PDF].
| Graphic: Our Time |