ed that the data relative to opinions on the issue of the legalization of the use of marijuana were obtained from National Opinion Research Center data base. The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1987, p. 568) indicated further that to numerical size of the total National Opinion Research Center sample in 1973 was 1,504 and in 1987 was 1,466, and that the composition of the samples in relation to gender, race, and age reflected population proportions in the most recent federal census data. Thus, the composition of the 1973 sample was based on 1970 census data, and the composition of the 1987 sample was based on 1980 census data.
The National Opinion Research Center samples included persons 18 years old and older. Thus, in the development of population proportions relevant to the 1970 and 1980 censuses, only those persons 18 years old and older were considered.
Proportional data in the relevant national census were used to derive the numerical composition of the 1973 and 1987 samples for use in the hypothesis testing for this study. The proportions of the various population groups opposing the legalization of the use of marijuana, as reported in the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics were applied to the derived numerical strengths of the various population groups to determine the numerical distribution of those opposing and not opposing the legalization of the use of marijuana. One additional methodological problem encountered involved the comparison of opinions according to age persons 30 years old and older compared with those under the age of thirty years old. The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics reported opinions for those persons 18 to 20 years old, 21 to 29 years old, 30 to 49 years old, and 50 years old and older. It was necessary, therefore, to determine the population proportions of these age groups in order to derive the numerical strengths of these age gr...