Women Leading the Fight for Cannabis Legalization

In a new study, researchers found that women between the age of 30 and 50 are key players in the battle for legalization in Colorado and Washington.

The study, entitled “Selling Cannabis Regulation: Learning From Ballot Initiatives in the United States in 2012,” examined ballot measures and exit polls and looked at how voters attitudes and opinions towards cannabis changed. The study found that middle aged women, particularly women from ages 30 to 50, were crucial to tipping the vote in favor of legalization in the cannabis movement in the U.S. thus far.

According to Dave Bewley-Taylor, the research hub’s director and co-author of the study, “Research shows that women were the key demographic in these historic marijuana campaigns. Activists directed much of their attention on 30- to 50-year-old women and, at the end of the day, it was women who made history.”

In the few months that led up to the 2012 legalization vote in Colorado, data from the study shows an increase in women’s support for Amendment 64, an increase of seven percent of women in favor of recreational cannabis. While women increasingly favored legalization, the data shows that men’s support decreased in the months leading up to legalization.

In Washington, the women’s swing vote was responsible for tipping the ballot. While an October poll showed that 12 percent of female voters were undecided about Washington’s Initiative 502, when election day arrived many women voted in favor of legalization, bringing the percentage of female supporters up to 53 percent from 48 percent. Thankfully for weedists in Colorado and Washington, women were on the right side of the issue.

According to Dave Bewley-Taylor, issues about safety are a primary concern for women, especially moms, in the legalization debate. “The emotive nature of the issue would suggest that the reasons behind this are highly individual, but based around common themes, including those relating to youth access/safety,” Bewley-Taylor told The Daily Beast.

“It is important, therefore, for pro-reform campaigners to keep women on the ‘yes’ side. Women responded positively to well-crafted messaging.” While his statements illicit a misguided image of doe-eyed women who need to be carefully guided to come to a position of cannabis advocacy, at least Bewley-Taylor and others are beginning to recognize that women’s votes are quite important to the push for legalization.

Just like all informed voters, women just needed to hear the facts of the issue before they gave their support. Colorado and Washington campaigners focused their advocacy on debunking concerns about the possible negative ramifications of a legal cannabis market.

In the end, women and men need to band together to refute the claims of fear mongers trying to scare away votes for cannabis legalization and inform fellow voters of the benefits of a legalized market.