Biden's Position on Marijuana Is 10 Years Overdue (Analysis)

If you use marijuana, you will not work in the White House 2:56

(CNN) -

President Joe Biden and the federal government are behind on marijuana reform.

Earlier this month, five members of the Biden administration were fired at least in part for admitting to using marijuana in the past.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

But a look at the numbers shows just how different federal marijuana law is compared to the public's approach to it.

The latter are much more favorable to their legalization.

• LOOK: The White House asks several employees who used marijuana in the past to resign or work remotely

Last year, Gallup polls showed that 68% of Americans were in favor of legalizing the substance for recreational use.

That was the highest percentage ever recorded by Gallup.

A NORC poll last year similarly found that 67% favored legalizing marijuana.

Biden, however, has treated marijuana reform with care.

While you don't want it to remain illegal, you just want it to be decriminalized, not legalized.

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It's almost as if the president doesn't acknowledge the staggering increase in support for marijuana legalization in the past two decades.

In 2010, the legalization of marijuana was the minority position.

Only 46% of Americans were in favor and 50% against.

In 2000, only 31% were in favor of legalization.

When Biden first became a senator in 1973, 16% were in favor of legalization and 78% opposed.

Few other issues have undergone such dramatic change in such a short period.

Same-sex marriage is one of the few other issues on which public opinion has changed so rapidly.

In 2000, 34% were in favor and 62% opposed according to Gallup polls.

That changed with 44% support in 2010. By 2020, that favorability rose to 67%.

The transformation of public opinion on same-sex marriage coincided with many more politicians who publicly voiced their support.

• MORE: How will the legalization of marijuana affect Mexico and how would it affect the US?

Interestingly, in a way the same has not happened with marijuana.

Part of that may be because politicians think of drug legalization as a third lane in American politics.

You can see the national polls on the subject, but you don't believe it.

A look at state polls from the last month shows that marijuana legalization is popular in the blue and red states.

A Goucher College of Maryland poll found that 66% were in favor of legalizing marijuana.

Another New York Quinnipiac poll showed 64% support her.

A Texas Tribune poll revealed that 60% of Texas voters said marijuana for any use should be legal.

This coincides with almost all groups that support legalization at the national level.

The only ones who did not do so in the Gallup polls were Republicans (48%), Conservatives (49%), and those who attended weekly church services (48%).

Those numbers are still much higher than his basic endorsement for many liberal issues.

And to be clear, this is not a polling phenomenon.

Marijuana legalization isn't just popular in polls.

It is something that is popular at the polls.

In 2020, there were four different states that had ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana.

Each and every one of them passed.

They passed into a racially diverse blue state like New Jersey (67%), a racially diverse state like Arizona (60%), and much whiter states like Montana (57%) and South Dakota (54%).

What's remarkable here is that in every state, marijuana legalization garnered a higher percentage of votes than Biden.

Marijuana performed around 10 points better (New Jersey) to almost 20 points better (South Dakota) than Biden.

It's hard to imagine that Biden would be hurt by changing his stance from decriminalizing to legalizing.

You can even get some voters.

Joe Biden Marihuana