Why are women less pro-marijuana legalization than men?

I recently was asked why women in the US are not more supportive towards marijuana legalization.

For example, according to recent findings, only 48% of women favor legalization vs 57% of men. 57% of women say they are "made uncomfortable" by marijuana use, compared to just 44% of men. And I think most importantly, 36% of women believe marijuana use is "morally wrong," compared to just 29% of men.

What accounts for these differences in perception?

I'm definitely not an expert, but a few thoughts come to mind which might at least be contributing factors to why women in the US tend to be less supportive of marijuana than men. Today I would like to share my beliefs with you, in hopes that more people become aware of these possible underlying issues.

I believe that we can make huge positive social change happen as long as we continue working together towards greater understanding and better solutions.

So what are some reasons women in the US tend to be less pro-pot than men?

Pro-marijuana women may face additional public stigmatization

Let me explain...

In American society, especially in certain regions or cultures, there seems to be few ways women can be pro-pot without stigmatization.

I imagine this varies quite a bit depending on where you live, but I know that in some places I've lived (especially outside major cities, and away from the coastlines of the US), women who smoke pot seem to get a lot more scrutiny than men who smoke pot.

Negative public perception against mothers who use cannabis

There's a lot of stigmatization against pot-smoking mothers.

A lot of people think that a woman cannot use cannabis regularly and still be a good mother. So for women who choose to be mothers, there's a decades-long period smack in the middle of their life where people will heavily judge them for any marijuana use. There tends to be less stigma for fathers who smoke (though definitely still some).

Women-centric groups like Moms for Marijuana are often publicly shunned and several moms have had children taken away just because of their participation in groups like this that support marijuana legalization.

That image of "good moms don't use marijuana" supports a situation where mothers will NOT want to come out in support.

Few female roles models support legalization

Another thought that comes to mind is there are few female role models who are accepted by society yet are openly pro-marijuana. I can think of lots of well-loved and publicly accepted men who are pro-marijuana (Carl Sagan, Willie Nelson, Bill Hicks, Snoop Dog, Michael Phelps, Arnold Schwarzenegger...) yet I can only think of two women off the top of my head (Rihanna and Jennifer Aniston) who will publicly admit to and defend the fact that they use cannabis.

Hypersexualized portrayal of women who use cannabis

Also, I hate to say it, but how women often get portrayed in the pro-marijuana movement is probably not helping things.

There seems to be a strong perceived correlation (at least in a lot of people's minds and at marijuana events) between cannabis smoking females and hypersexuality.

At cannabis conventions in America, the female promoters are nearly always scantily clad and highly sexualized.

Look at the information pages for cannabis conventions or events like the recent Kush Expo and consider how women are portrayed. Or just type "Cannabis Girls" into Google and see what sorts of results come up (NSFW). Check out this Facebook group "Girls Love Marijuana, Too" which is supposed to be for girls by girls. Consider how young and sexualized the women tend to be in all the posts.

I believe there is nothing wrong with sexuality, yet in American society, highly sexual women are often categorized as "sluts" or "free-loaders". Female sexuality in America is often equated with loose morals. The public perception that all female cannabis users are highly sexual may cause additional fear or shame for women who DO use marijuana or might like to try it.

The average woman is not well-represented in the pro-cannabis movement

There are few older or average looking women being featured in pro-marijuana events. The images promoted by many pro-marijuana groups do NOT represent the average woman in America, and women who don't fit that stereotype likely feel like they "don't belong" with the pro-marijuana movement.

I believe a big step towards greater acceptance of marijuana use among women will start with specifically targeting and educating women who are currently left out of most legalization efforts.

I believe it is important we show women that marijuana legalization is a civil rights issue and provide better and less biased information about marijuana's true benefits and risks. Women make up half of all American society, and therefore they have an incredibly important place in the legalization movement. By reaching out to women more effectively, we will continue to allow women to make better and more informed choices about marijuana.

Why do you think cannabis legalization is not as popular among women in the US?

What do you think can be done to improve the public perception of cannabis?