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ISSUE GUIDES: Illegal Drugs

PUBLIC VIEW: RED FLAGS

The Red Flags section offers guidance on areas of public opinion research where findings may be misleading, unstable, or easily misinterpreted. Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously.

Red Flag Statements

Liberal or Conservative?Marijuana: How Dangerous?

Opinion polls suggest that the public's views on how to combat illegal drug use don't fall crisply into either a liberal or conservative ideology. Rather than take an "either-or" approach, the public seems to combine elements from both camps. Survey findings show majorities support criminal prosecution, but equally large numbers say providing treatment and education would also be effective measures for combating the problem. While half of Americans say drug use should be treated more like a disease than a crime, they are divided on whether states should do away with mandatory sentences for nonviolent offenders. Further, though nearly half of Americans say stopping the illegal importation of drugs into this country would be the most effective way to control drug use, few say we should spend more money to help other countries like Columbia and Peru fight drug trafficking. Similarly, a majority of Americans favor spending more on educational programs to prevent drug use among young people, but less than half say they would increase spending on treatment in general. The public's tendency to combine elements of both liberal and conservative approaches is reflected in other issues like crime and welfare. (See Crime, Red Flags and Welfare, Red Flags.)

  • Half of Americans say drug use should be treated more like a disease than a crime, but they are divided on whether states...
  • Majorities say they consider criminal prosecution as well as treatment and education effective measures for controlling...
  • Nearly half of Americans say stopping imports would be the most effective way to fight illegal drug use, but few say the...
  • Six in 10 Americans say the government should spend more on educational programs to prevent drug use among young people, but...

Americans' views on marijuana are complex. While majorities say marijuana should not be legalized, they are somewhat divided on whether possession of a small amount should be considered a crime. And most Americans say they approve of using the drug for medicinal purposes when prescribed by a doctor. About three in 10 people say they have tried marijuana and a majority of parents who have tried it say they would tell their kids if they asked. On the other hand, three-quarters of parents say they would be "extremely" upset if their child smoked marijuana and half say they would be more concerned about pot than cigarettes or alcohol.

  • More than one-third of Americans say they have tried marijuana, and most parents who tried it say they would tell their...
  • Most Americans say they favor allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes
  • The majority of Americans say marijuana should remain illegal, but they are divided on whether possession of small amounts...
  • Three-quarters of parents say they would be "extremely disturbed" if they found out their teenager smoked marijuana and half...

Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously:

  • Results change when survey questions are reworded slightly.
  • Results change when implications or trade-offs of a policy are pointed out.
  • Results may be misleading if reported in isolation or out of context.
  • Other research suggests that people have incomplete or inaccurate knowledge in this area.