Support for legalizing marijuana is at an all-time high (pun intended). People are showing support and toking up more than ever before. In a recent poll, it was found that 61% of Americans say they support legalizing marijuana. Last October, Popular Science reported that the amount of Americans smoking weed has doubled since 2001. With all the gaining support for marijuana legalization, it is only a matter of time before well-known opponents of marijuana legalization start changing their minds.
Who Changed Their Mind on Legalizing Marijuana?
In recent news, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper “does an about-face on marijuana legalization.” The Democratic governor always opposed legalizing marijuana and even stated that the people’s vote to legalize it was “reckless.” These days, he thinks legalizing marijuana is still a “grand experiment” but he is optimistic as the results play out (and after watching the state make $1 billion dollars in legal marijuana sales in 2015 alone).
Earlier this year Darren White, a famous D.A.R.E. cop, also changed his mind about the marijuana legalization debate. Why? Because he finally realized the medical benefit of marijuana when he needed pain relief after undergoing surgery. He was originally prescribed chemical painkillers but then completely changed his mind about the healing properties of marijuana. He states, “I am not ashamed to sit here and tell you I was wrong.” Now Darren has a medical marijuana card and advocates for medical marijuana legalization.
In the medical community, doctors are also changing the mind about the legalization of marijuana. On TV, Dr. Gupta from CNN, Dr. Oz and Dr. Besser from ABC all made 180-degree turns on their support of medical marijuana. When once they opposed, now all three acknowledged they were wrong. Dr. Gupta apologized for his own role in reporting misleading information on marijuana. Dr. Oz talks of the obvious medical benefits of marijuana and Dr. Besser spoke of how marijuana was a much safer alternative than alcohol.
Are there other famous marijuana advocates who used to sing a different tune about marijuana legalization? Are there any stoners against legalization? Let us know in the comments.
At Las Vegas ReLeaf, we’ve been advocating for legal medical marijuana before our dispensary opened and will continue to present the marijuana legalization pros and cons. Now that recreational marijuana legalization is on the horizon, we are excited to see the new and continued support for a substance that’s been helping people heal for thousands of years.
Learn how you, too, can advocate for legalizing marijuana and become a medical marijuana patient.,
