The late John Prine, in his 1971 classic song, "Illegal Smile," wrote: "You may see me tonight, with an illegal smile. It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while." The journey marijuana has traveled in American culture during my lifetime is a fascinating one. A quick review of the music written about it alone, lays out a chronology of an embattled, yet steady shift in perspective since Prine wrote about it. Last week, Leslie Bonilla Mũniz wrote for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, "Prominent Republicans back 'safe and regulated' marijuana legalization group." Republicans? Yes, Republicans. This election issue varied in prominence from state to state this year, but one thing that has become clear across the country is that the once prominent partisan lines of disagreement among citizens are gone. "Safe and Regulated Indiana" has produced a thirty second ad encouraging Hoosiers to contact their legislators to support legalization, though they steer clear of that word. They also don't announce on their website specifics about who is in their coalition, though I do like the site's anonymous scroll of individuals, listed by first name and hometown only, showing the volume of support. It's this anonymity that is easy to identify as a campaign weakness. This is no longer 1971. Supporting a safe and regulated marijuana market in a state surrounded by existing markets, really doesn't have much risk. More accurately, support is the viewpoint of the majority, just about everywhere in America. Last year, Ohio voted to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use by a 57-43 vote. While Kentucky hasn't legalized recreational use, legalized medical usage goes into effect on January 1, completing the surrounding of Indiana with markets. But it's not just our neighbors. Earlier this month, Florida voted on its own referendum. And while the vote failed to achieve that state's needed 60% threshold for adoption, it did achieve a 56-44 percent majority of support. Talk about winning by failing.   Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert  

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