Smoking dope and betting on football seems more like the plot for an ABC Afterschool Special than it does for survey questions involving Louisiana voters. But such are the times in which we live. And our state's legislature is expected to take up debate during the current session that could play a huge part in whether or not those activities, smoking dope and betting on football, can be made legal in Louisiana.

If legislators are to believe the results of a new study published by the Public Policy Research Lab at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication then neither issue should have any problem receiving the necessary votes to become law.

That survey showed that 59% percent of Louisiana residents support legalizing gambling on professional sporting events. Which is not surprising since we've seen first hand how sports wagering has impacted revenues at Mississippi based casinos. Those casinos legalized sports wagering late last year following a Supreme Court ruling and the money appears to be flowing into the state's coffers as projected.

Another surprising fact that was brought to light by the Manship School study was this. 55% of Louisiana residents support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use. That is a big change in public perception in just a few years.

However, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Governor Edwards to spark up a blunt and pass it your direction. The state still can't seem to come to terms on what to do about medical marijuana and they've already passed laws approving that.

If you'd like to dig into the facts uncovered the LSU Report you can do that right here. The survey didn't just inquire about marijuana and sports betting. There were several questions asked about social issues as they relate to our state today.

Personally, I found the results to be a lot different than what I would have guessed. I guess that's why we need to get as much input from as many people as we can to make sure the wishes of the majority are recognized without reducing the rights of the minorities.

 

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