Memo: The Case for Comprehensive Marijuana Reform

Introduction

In a national poll, we asked voters whether they support comprehensive marijuana reform that would legalize marijuana and begin to address the historic, intergenerational harms wrought by decades of racially disparate enforcement. We specifically asked about the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment & Expungement (MORE) Act, legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and redress some injustices of marijuana prohibition through, among other reforms, expungement of previous convictions and establishing grant programs to benefit communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

We found strong bipartisan support for these reforms and, in particular, the MORE Act:

58% of likely voters, including 54% of Republicans, think that the federal government should legalize the use and sale of marijuana;
69% of likely voters, including 67% of Republican voters, believe the federal government should respect the rights of individual states that have already legalized marijuana sales and not pursue legal action against them;
63% of likely voters, including 59% of Republicans, believe that some tax funds from the sale of marijuana should go to community reinvestment funds to support the communities most harmed by punitive drug policy;
65% of likely voters, including 67% of Republicans, agree that marijuana tax dollars provide valuable revenue for states;
Even in states where marijuana remains illegal, 60% of likely voters, including 58% of Republicans, believe that police should stop arresting people for the possession of marijuana intended for personal use; while 55% overall, and 50% of Republicans, believe police should stop arresting people for the sale of small quantities of marijuana;
62% of likely voters, including 60% of Republicans, support the MORE Act when asked about its specific provisions.