Numbers don’t lie. When it comes to rescheduling marijuana, a new poll shows that 63% of Americans reject the prospect of marijuana rescheduling once they learn it would give companies more financial incentive to advertise to children.
Across every political party, race, and income level, Americans want weed to stay exactly where it is in Schedule I.
Leading pollster Wes Anderson spoke to likely voters across the country about their perceptions and sentiment on this issue. The results are unambiguous. Rescheduling weed to Schedule III would give massive tax relief to the legal industry—currently prevented from taking normal deductions on business expenses by the IRS’ Section 280E restriction, which doesn’t apply to dealers of Schedule III substances.
Once likely voters were informed of this tax break, and of the fact that it creates an effective financial incentive to advertise to kids, they responded with strong disapproval.
These results cross political boundaries. Both 73% of Trump voters and Republicans fall into the less likely camp, with 66% of GOPers and 64% of Trump voters much less likely. Some 57% of independents are less likely, along with 56% of Democrats and 54% of Harris voters. Among voters age 46-55, 63% were less likely, with voters age 56-65 67% less likely and voters older than 66 71%. These results are also strong across communities of every race and income level. Black voters were 67% less likely, Asians 57%, whites 62%, and Hispanics 64%, while those with under $80,000 in income were 60% less likely, those with $80-$150k 65%, and those with more than $150k 61%.
And while 63% of respondents overall said they’d be less likely to support rescheduling if it gives companies more financial incentive to advertise to their children, a total of 51% of those polled were much less likely to support rescheduling because of its potential impact on children—more than half.
Aside from boosting dangerous advertising to children, rescheduling marijuana would boost a different kind of danger: organized crime. Rescheduling would hand an effective tax break to the foreign cartels that are deeply entwined with the American weed trade on both sides of the law.
Again, strong disapproval cut across race, class, and party.
Republicans were 71% less likely with 65% much less likely, while Trump voters were 72% and 65%. Independents were 53% less likely, with 48% of Democrats and 46% of Harris voters. Among voters age 46-55, 56% were less likely; voters age 56-65 were 62% less likely; and voters older than 66 were 67%.
Black respondents were 60% less likely, Asians 51%, whites 59%, and Hispanics 55%. Those with less than $80,000 in income were 56% less likely, those with between $80,000 and $150,000 61%, and those with more than $150,000 56%.
Indeed, some 58% of respondents overall would be less likely to support rescheduling—and almost 48% were much less likely to support rescheduling given the financial incentives for foreign drug cartels.
In other words, once industry smoke dissipates, Americans show overwhelming opposition to marijuana rescheduling and marijuana normalization in general. No wonder the industry works overtime to conceal the damage it would do.
So what does this mean? At its core, these poll results make clear that when Americans—and Trump’s political base above all—understand the real-world consequences of marijuana rescheduling, especially how it could increase financial incentives for companies to market their products to children, they strongly oppose the change.
The main anchor issue driving this opposition is the well-being of kids. Across all demographics, voters are united by their concern that rescheduling would make it easier for the industry to target young people, resulting in a sharp drop in support. That drop in support is steepest and most intense among the GOP, Trump’s own voters and independents—a huge political risk for the president and his party.
This overwhelming response shows that protecting children remains the top priority for the American public when it comes to marijuana policy—and that the president risks alienating his own strongest supporters if he does what the industry wants and puts marijuana in Schedule III.