The results are in. More than 11,000 sworn LEOs took time out of their busy schedules to tell us what they think about America’s fast-changing drug policy. The survey offers an excellent opportunity for the people on the front lines enforcing our drug laws to weigh in on the effect and effectiveness of those laws. We at Law Officer hope that these results will be of interest to policy makers and the general public as the nation arrives at a cohesive, sane and workable drug policy.
Perhaps the statistic that will be most striking to many readers is the fact that 36% of respondents think that marijuana should be legalized, with an additional 11% saying it should be legal with a doctor’s prescription. In other words, nearly half of all respondents think marijuana should be legalized in some proscribed capacity. But respondents were also clear that this is not a panacea. They foresee increases in addiction (61%), impaired driving (76%) and domestic violence (57%) as a result of legalization or decriminalization of drugs. Meanwhile, a recent nationwide poll conducted by the Associated Press reveals that approximately 75% of Americans think that marijuana legalization seems inevitable, whether they support it or not.
Perhaps such polls raise more questions than they can answer. But the fact is America’s drug policy is in flux. The ramifications of this policy could be huge not just for law enforcement, but also for public safety more generally. The more we think about these questions and the more deeply we discuss them, the better, we hope, will be the outcome.
To learn more, download the full survey results.
Law Officer Drug Survey Full Survey Results 90.67 KB
Key Points Infographics:
Law Officer Drug Survey Infographic 886.45 KB
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