I think it more the latter of the two choices the OP provides. However, it can change, there's an amendment process specifically for that purpose.
One of my biggest problems with "how it's viewed" is that too many people seem to think the answer to every question can be found in the Constitution if you look hard enough. It is a finite well-defined set of standards and if the subject matter falls outside of those, like legalized pot, it should get kicked down to the states to decide. Instead of recognizing the obvious (the states were set up to be little laboratories) we have people finding the answer to such questions as legalized pot in places like the Interstate Commerce Clause when the issue never even involved interstate commerce.
Fern