tdaxp

"Poll Shows Seniors Back Medical Marijuana," by Elizabeth Wolfe, Newsday, http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-medical-marijuana,0,6004543.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines, 18 December 2004 (from Democratic Underground).

While the California medical marijuana case is being pondered by the Surpeme Court, the AARP announce a surprising poll result:

WASHINGTON -- Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the nation's largest advocacy group for seniors.

More than half of those questioned said they believe marijuana has medical benefits, while a larger majority agreed the drug is addictive.

AARP, with 35 million members, says it has no political position on medical marijuana and that its local branches have not chosen sides in the scores of state ballot initiatives on the issue in recent elections.

But with medical marijuana at the center of a Supreme Court case to be decided next year, and nearly a dozen states with medical marijuana laws on their books, AARP decided to study the issue.