American voters face a November rematch for president that many did not want, and the winner will be the oldest man ever to hold or retake the White House. So courting young voters makes plenty of sense for President Joe Biden and the man he defeated in 2020, Donald Trump.
And there's an issue that, while polling strongly with all Americans, really appeals to voters under the age of 35 − the legalization of marijuana.
Three of the anticipated seven swing states already have approved full recreational and medical use for marijuana − Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. The other four − Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin − all still have strict limitations. This, despite plenty of polling in those states and nationwide that shows strong support for full legalization.
One problem there, according to Morgan Fox, the political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), is that public support has always been "a mile wide and an inch deep."
That's another way of saying that while plenty of people favor legalization, it has never been a political priority for them. "But that's definitely starting to change, especially as we roll into the next presidential election, where we have arguably one of the most informed young electorates that we've ever had,"
Gallup, in a survey released in November, said public support for legalization hit a record 70% "after holding steady at 68%" for the three previous years. And the younger you are, the more likely you feel that way. The survey found 79% support from people ages 18-34, 71% for respondents ages 35-54, and 64% for those 55 or older.
There was strong bipartisan support as well among Democrats (87%), independents (70%) and Republicans (55%).
Biden and Trump clearly know this, though they have taken different approaches to legalization.