A new survey, conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates - the lead campaign pollster for President Donald Trump - shows that 77% of 2018 voters nationwide have a favorable opinion of legalizing medical marijuana.
Others have shown similar but slightly less enthusiastic support for recreational marijuana, as well.
And regardless of support, fully three-quarters of the country believe the sale and use of marijuana will eventually be legal nationwide.
Yet, for some reason, many mainstream politicians refuse to throw their weight behind the issue.
Consider this: Eight of the nine states to legalize marijuana have done it through voter ballot initiatives.
Only ONE state, Vermont, did it through a legislative act.
What that means is that, even in freewheeling places like Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, politicians aren't the ones legalizing pot. It's been citizens going to the polls.
I have no idea why that is, especially when the political case for pot legalization is so unbelievably strong. Legalizing pot generates billions in tax revenues, lessens the burden and cost of law enforcement, helps sick people get the treatment they need, and keeps people out of jail for harmless offenses.
But again, the political rhetoric on the issue ranges from muted, to antiquated, to unhinged.
Mercifully, though, that's changing.
A new wave of upstart politicians sees marijuana proponents as a worthy demographic. And it's paying off.
In November, New Jersey voters elected Democrat Phil Murphy to replace Republican Chris Christie as governor.
Murphy made marijuana legalization a cornerstone of his campaign.
"The criminalization of marijuana has only served to clog our courts and cloud people's futures, so we will legalize marijuana," he said after winning his primary in June. "And while there are financial benefits, this is overwhelmingly about doing what is right and just."
Murphy is now moving forward with an ambitious plan to legalize marijuana this year.
In Illinois, a Democratic candidate running for Congress pitched himself as the "Cannabis Congressman."
"As a cannabis user, I think it's important we get out front and talk about it," said Benjamin Thomas Wolf. "We realize that cannabis can bring billions of dollars to the state, it's medicine for millions of people around the country, it changes criminal justice reform and personally I think it's a wonderful recreational substance as well."
Wolf even went so far as to release a campaign ad in which he smoked a joint.
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Wolf failed to win the primary but he's on the right track.
In that same March 20 election, voters in the state's largest county overwhelmingly approved a ballot question calling for the legalization of marijuana.
Businessman JB Pritzker, who won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, also made hay on the issue, repeatedly promising to legalize cannabis on the campaign trail.
"We can begin by immediately removing one area of racial injustice in our criminal justice system," he said in his victory speech. "Let's legalize, tax and regulate marijuana."
Meanwhile, the incumbent governor, Republican Bruce Rauner, has signed into law a measure to decriminalize cannabis possession, but vowed to veto broader legalization measures.
We'll see which side wins come November.
The fact is, Rauner and others like him (looking at you, Jeff Sessions), are simply standing on the wrong side of history.
Marijuana legalization is a tidal wave. It can't be beaten back, so politicians might as well climb aboard. The ones who do are already being rewarded. And the stubborn ones are going to be thrown out.
Get paid,
Jason Simpkins
Jason Simpkins is a ten-year veteran of the financial publishing industry, where he's served as a reporter, analyst, investment strategist and prognosticator. He's written more than 1,000 articles pertaining to personal finance and macroeconomics. Simpkins also served as the chief investment analyst for a trading service that focused exclusively on high-flying energy stocks. For more on Jason, check out his editor's page.