Poll: Voters in favor of pot legalization

>>> did you know we're just hours away from a historic first in washington state ? midnight tonight the state's new law decriminalizing marijuana goes in to effect. washington and colorado become the first states in the country to legalize pot through ballot initiatives earlier this month and today a poll shows a majority of american voters support the legalization of marijuana, 51% of those polls would support such a measure and 44% oppose it. quinnipiac university assistant director was quoted as saying leaguizati legal sooegs is just a matter of time . joining us is ryan grim. ryan , great to see you.

>> thanks for having me.

>> so there's a lot to talk about. the divide between men and women over legalizath?n. women opposed 52-44. when's going on there?

>> yeah. those are pretty remarkable numbers in that survey. you know, partly, i think it's smoking pot is very male thing to do. if you think of your stereotype of the stoners --

>> i never thought i would hear that. i'm stymied by that, i guess.

>> you think it's like six guys around a dorm room .

>> snoop dogg and i don't know who. okay.

>> it's not that college-aged women and women in general don't smoke marijuana but you don't think of six women sitting around a dorm room passing a bong around and the usage numbers back up the fact that more boys than girls smoke pot while in high school . and i believe that that carries on throughout. so it's experience with the drug but also, you know, women led the temperance movement that led to prohibition in the early part of the 20th century and that was a very woman-driven movement.

>> well, and the age discrepancy is logical. older people, 65 and older do not. when you go back to the split among women and men, how might that impact? you have the pollster saying only a matter of time . the writing on the wall . we know women are important in every aspect of voting from the presidential election which we saw to ballot initiatives .

>> right. while all women , you know, oppose it in this ? survey, young women do not and i think the over 65 and the women numbers are actually related because there are a lot more people over 65 who are women than men and that's going to skew the numbers that direction, but for women who are, you know, 18 plus, 18 to 50 or so, you know, they're generally supportive of legalization and the men so prodly supportive of the it they can counteract them. i think 59% and all people including men over 65.

>> 19 states plus d.c. medical marijuana laws in place there. if it is only a matter of time , i won't put you in a krystal ball situation, but never the less, when do you think this matter of time will come, especially seeing when's happening in washington state as of midnight local time there?

>> i think a lot of it depends on what obama and holder do with regard to washington and colorado.

>> right.

>> if they take, you know, if they take an aggress approach it might quicken things bringing things to a head. if they take a more hands off approach, it allows industries to develop in a more systematic and reasonable way and lead other states in 2016 to go for legalization. it's tough in a midterm with a ton of those over 65 voters opposed to it. 2016 , 2020 , you will have a ton of states where it's legal and with alcohol, you have dry count count ?ie counties. even 40, 50 years from now you have states and counties prohibited but not like a war footing like it is right now.

>> ryan , good to see you