Germans oppose pot legalisation by more than 2:1

[Tender Branson]

Forsa/Stern poll:

29% legalize
65% not

CDU/CSU voters: 79% keep it illegal
SPD voters: 62% keep it illegal
Left voters: 51% keep it illegal

Green voters: 51% legalize, 42% keep it illegal

http://www.stern.de/panorama/stern-umfrage-bei-marihuana-kennen-die-deutschen-kein-pardon-2081611.html

[Tender Branson]

This is a similar margin than the one found in the Uruguay poll:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=183740.msg3995421#msg3995421

[Hifly]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

[opebo]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

Actually you Germans just love to be tightly controlled, its part of your culture. 

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why are Americans more socially liberal on this issue than most places?

[Zioneer]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

[ilikeverin]

Germany sez: "WE'RE NOT THE DUTCH OKAY"

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

This.  I doubt that there is anyplace in the US, not even Washington or Colorado, where even a plurality think that recreational cannabis use is a good thing..  But there are plenty of places where a majority think it is better than the effects of continuing to criminalize it.

[CatoMinor]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

Not wanting people thrown in jail to rot for harming no one than arguably themselves is not simply an "idiot libertarian" position, its simply the conclusion that most people with a heart and brain have come too after witnessing the utter failure of our war on a plant and those who use it.

Also, though I get the funny feeling you will not be swayed by facts and statistics, I'll leave this here anyways.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

They need to take a toke and chill out in Germany.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Why are Americans more socially liberal on this issue than most places?

Unlike the "traditional" social issues (gays & abortion), the marijuana legalization debate has mostly been a secular one--Pat Robertson of all people came out in favor of legalization. So without the same sort of opposition from religious conservatives, America's individualist streak makes it more favorable of legalization than most of Europe.

[opebo]

Why are Americans more socially liberal on this issue than most places?

Unlike the "traditional" social issues (gays & abortion), the marijuana legalization debate has mostly been a secular one--Pat Robertson of all people came out in favor of legalization. So without the same sort of opposition from religious conservatives, America's individualist streak makes it more favorable of legalization than most of Europe.

Or it could be that the laws against marijuana are already so much more lenient and so much less enforced in Europe that people don't feel a strong need for change.  I know the Germans I've met over here were mostly quite accustomed to marijuana use, and a large minority regularly used cocaine.

[Cory]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

[Franzl]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

This is the correct answer. And I support legalization, but the status quo isn't f**king up peoples' lives in any way comparable to the "War on Drugs".

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

You've yet to explain why you oppose marijuana legalization in any substantive way.

America is more in favor of marijuana legalization because marijuana is a key part of American culture. Marijuana consumption is much higher here than in Europe, we have an active marijuana culture that transcends classic counter-culture vs mainstream divides (there's a negative correlation between marijuana use and income) and the image of the drug is less polarizing now that the memory of the 60s/70s is fading away. This has little to do with America's penchant for libertarianism or Germany's authoritarianism. It's cultural. In the states, jocks, teachers, hipsters, parents, Democrats and Republicans all smoke marijuana. It's been normalized to an astonishing degree.

If you think marijuana legalization is due to the unpopularity of the War on Drugs, I have a bridge to sell you. The punitive aspects of marijuana's illegality have hardly impacted white America outside of inconveniencing them, which is enough to change public opinion.

[RedSLC]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

^^^^

Also, calling the people on the other side of the issue deluded idiots isn't going to win you any support on this.

[opebo]

Marijuana consumption is much higher here than in Europe

Seriously??  Every European under 35 I ever met smoked at least some dope, and most smoked a lot of dope, and certainly marijuana use seems far more pervasive in the all the Western European countries than in the USA.  Heck when I was in France and Switzerland folks just walked down the street openly smoking joints.

[Velasco]

Marijuana Consumption: Annual Prevalence by country

Germany 4.8 (2009)

Netherlands 5.4 (2005)

United Kingdom: England and Wales 6.6 (2010), Northern Ireland 7.2 (2007), Scotland 8.4 (2009)

Spain 10.6 (2010)

United States of America 13.7 (2009)

http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2011/StatAnnex-consumption.pdf

[Horus]

Clearly the rise of religious extremism in Europe is leading to a slowdown in progressive politics, especially when it comes to personal liberty issues like this.

[Franzl]

Clearly the rise of religious extremism in Europe is leading to a slowdown in progressive politics, especially when it comes to personal liberty issues like this.

lol, stick to American political analysis, I think.

[Hifly]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

^^^^

Also, calling the people on the other side of the issue deluded idiots isn't going to win you any support on this.

Poll results are over 2 to 1 against. My side wins unambiguously.

[Zioneer]

Beautiful. We Germans aren't deluded unlike the idiot libertarians who plague America.

No, you Germans just haven't had a War on Drugs that shows the absolute folly of criminalizing pot.

^^^^

Also, calling the people on the other side of the issue deluded idiots isn't going to win you any support on this.

Poll results are over 2 to 1 against. My side wins unambiguously.

Perhaps, but I don't see what's to celebrate. Putting more people needlessly in jail?

[Cory]

Poll results are over 2 to 1 against. My side wins unambiguously.

Do you actually have any substantive reason to oppose Marijuana legalization?

[Tender Branson]

Poll results are over 2 to 1 against. My side wins unambiguously.

Do you actually have any substantive reason to oppose Marijuana legalization?

Well, it's a drug ... That counts in the eyes of most.

[Franzl]

Poll results are over 2 to 1 against. My side wins unambiguously.

Do you actually have any substantive reason to oppose Marijuana legalization?

Well, it's a drug ... That counts in the eyes of most.

So is alcohol, a drug I happen to like....but I fail to see a logical reason to allow it while criminalizing a drug that's, at the very worst, not more dangerous.