Morning Distribution for Friday, October 14, 2022

A [FiveThirtyEight]( email [Morning Distribution]( Friday, October 14, 2022 Your daily briefing from FiveThirtyEight --------------------------------------------------------------- The Morning Story [1014_POLLA-4×3]( [Five Decades Into The War On Drugs, Decriminalizing Marijuana Has High Bipartisan SupportÂ]( By [Zoha Qamar]( Welcome to [Pollapalooza]( our weekly polling roundup. --------------------------------------------------------------- Last week, President Biden [pardoned federal offenses]( for marijuana possession, part of a promise he had made on the campaign trail to decriminalize weed. The order to [vacate the sentences]( of at least 6,500 American citizens and lawful permanent residents [elicited praise]( from some cannabis advocates, while others have said the move is [only a first step]( at best. Some activists, especially those who highlight how enforcement of the current law disproportionately targets Black communities, said the pardon [doesn’t go far enough](. But, in general, Americans agree that the country’s legislation on marijuana does need an update. According to [polling conducted by Morning Consult/Politico]( just days before the Oct. 6 pardon, 6 in 10 American voters said weed should be legal in the U.S. That number rises to about 7 in 10 among voters under 45 (70 percent), Democrats (71 percent) and Black voters (72 percent). Even among the groups least likely to support legalizing marijuana — Republicans (47 percent) and voters 65 or over (45 percent) — close to half of respondents agreed. There’s [no real divide]( across regions, either. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Listen [Play]( [Politics Podcast: Is Oregon Going To Elect A Republican Governor?]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address: FiveThirtyEight, 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.