From “Just Say No” to “I Didn’t Inhale” to “I’ve got Bigger Fish to Fry”: The President, Media, and Attitudes Toward Marijuana (1975-2014)

• In Event: Measuring Criminology: Impact and Perspective

Abstract

Public opinion concerning marijuana has varied across time. While public opinions have previously favored criminalization of marijuana, recent decades have been marked by significant increases in favor of legalization. Prior research illustrates that public opinion and legislation that prohibited marijuana in the 1930’s may have been influenced by political rhetoric and the symbolic speech of authority figures. Additionally, presidential rhetoric about marijuana and drugs has varied between presidents, and research shows the president may influence public opinion about drugs as well as the media. As such, this study will utilize data from the General Social Survey to examine the relationship between the president and public opinion about marijuana legalization from 1975 through 2014.

Authors

• Richard Stringer, Old Dominion University

• Scott Maggard, Old Dominion University