Avvo Legal Guides Help Consumers Make Sense of Marijuana Laws

Controversy over states legalization versus federal laws sparks increase in consumer demand for legal information

Seattle, Wash — Avvo, Inc., the web’s largest expert-only legal Q&A forum, directory and legal marketplace (http://www.avvo.com), today released a set of new legal guides to help address the top questions consumers have about marijuana.  Consistent with interest in the topic at a national level, the number of consumers seeking information on Avvo.com about marijuana has skyrocketed since November 2012 when voters in Washington and Colorado approved initiatives that legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Topics covered in the guides include:

According to a November 2012 Gallup poll, sixty-four percent of Americans are against the federal government’s taking steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where marijuana is legal. Washington state attorney Elizabeth Padula agrees and notes, “Understanding the laws at the state and federal level can be confusing for people and I applaud Avvo for helping to provide clarity to the situation.”

Top Legal Questions Answered

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy,in 2011 approximately 2.6 million Americans used marijuana for the first time, which averages out to about 7,100 new marijuana users every day. Reflective of this growing trend, questions asked on Avvo.com in 2012 related to marijuana increased by 43 percent over 2011. Other trends related to consumers’ questions on Avvo.com about marijuana include:

  • The states of California, Georgia, Arizona, Florida and New Hampshire lead the states asking the most questions related to marijuana on Avvo.com. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, the next states expected to end marijuana prohibition will be in New England and the West.
  • Despite its population size, consumers from New Hampshire posted the fifth greatest number of questions on Avvo.com related to marijuana, taking into account population density. According to a January 2013 New Hampshire poll conducted by the firm Public Policy Polling, 53 percent of respondents favor “changing (state) law to regulate and tax marijuana similarly to alcohol.” Only 37 percent of respondents opposed the plan.
  • The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that an analysis of recent data from several studies found that marijuana use more than doubles a driver’s risk of being in an accident. Likewise, a significant number of consumers on Avvo.com seek answers to questions related to marijuana driving laws.

About Avvo, Inc.

Avvo.com is the web’s largest legal Q&A forum, directory and legal marketplace (http://www.avvo.com), connecting hundreds of thousands of consumers and lawyers every month.  In Avvo’s Q&A forum consumers can get free legal advice 24/7 from more than 125,000 participating lawyers, and Avvo’s directory provides comprehensive profiles, client reviews, peer endorsements and the industry-recognized Avvo Rating for more than 95 percent of all lawyers in the U.S.  The Avvo Legal Marketplace, currently available for traffic tickets and divorce cases, revolutionizes how consumers find and hire an attorney. In addition, Avvo helps lawyers grow their business with Avvo Ignite, a cloud-based marketing platform and website solution designed specifically for attorneys. Founded in 2007, Avvo is privately held with funding from Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Ignition Partners.