Poll: Should Wyoming Legalize Marijuana?
This week's Townsquare Media of Cheyenne poll deals with the national movement to legalize marijuana.
Should we follow the lead of our neighbors to the south and make pot legal?
Supporters say the potential tax revenues could be a windfall to the Cowboy State at a time when a downturn in the energy industry has stretched the state budget to the limit. Many also argue against using law enforcement resources to combat a drug that is far less harmful than alcohol, especially at a time when those resources could be used to fight meth and heroin trafficking.
Opponents of legalization say a closer look at the social ills legal weed has caused in Colorado shows the costs far outweigh the benefits. Some opponents also say pot is a gateway drug which leads to abuse of meth, heroin and other drugs. Opponents also say pot is a drug, and legalizing it sends the message that it is safe to use when it isn't
Finally, there is a third school of thought that says weed should only be legalized for medicinal uses, with a doctor's prescription. Supporters of this idea say we don't need people getting high just for the fun of it, but that's no reason to keep it from those who need it for medical use. Pot has been prescribed in states where it is legal to do so to help chemotherapy patients regain their appetites as well as treatment of glaucoma and a range of other medical conditions.
Where do you stand on this issue?