404928 01: Hundreds of pro-cannabis demonstrators march May 4, 2002 in New York City. The marchers, … [+]
A recent poll shows that an increasing number of Americans now think marijuana should be legal.
The day after Ohio became the 24th state to legalize adult-use marijuana, the American polling and consulting group Gallup published its latest poll on marijuana legalization.
The poll reveals that 70% of Americans support marijuana legalization, while 29% of adults believe marijuana should not be legal, and 1% are unsure.
This latest poll represents a record, as only in the past few years has this issue received progressive consensus despite the prohibition policies and the stigmatization of marijuana.
Gallup’s polling history tracked the support for marijuana in 1969, when only 12% of Americans supported its legalization of marijuana. It took until 2013 for support to surpass the 50% mark, with a 10 percentage point increase to 58% after Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize adult-use marijuana use in 2012.
Gallup further highlights that support today has risen by an additional 12 points. At the same time, Gallup showed an increase in Americans’ self-reported use of marijuana.
In fact, the percentage of adults admitting to personally smoking marijuana has surged by 10 points to 17% since 2013, and the percentage of those who have ever tried it has grown by 12 points, reaching 50%, according to one of its surveys published in August. That poll also showed that most Americans aren’t apprehensive about regular marijuana use affecting adults, but they are more concerned about how it might impact young adults and teenagers. This sentiment seems coherent with the result of a recent Gallup survey, which found that young Americans are less interested in cigarettes and more inclined towards using marijuana or vaping with e-cigarettes.
For the second consecutive year, majority support for legalization is evident across all major subgroups, including age, political party, and ideology, according to Gallup’s results.
Self-identified conservatives reached majority support a bit later, hitting 51% in 2022, whereas Republicans first endorsed marijuana at a majority level in 2017.
As of today, concerning political affiliation, the strongest support for legal marijuana use comes from self-identified liberals (91%) and Democrats (87%), while the lowest levels of support are found among conservatives (52%) and Republicans (55%).
In demographic terms, there is an inverse correlation between support and age, peaking at 79% among individuals aged 18 to 34. Nevertheless, nearly two-thirds (64%) express support even in the oldest age group, with no significant variations in support based on gender, race, or education.
Although numerous regional differences noticed this year lack statistical significance, the reduced endorsement for legalization in the East, as opposed to the West and Midwest, corresponds with recent patterns, according to Gallup’s analysis.
On a broader scale, the poll indicates no disparity in support for legalization between residents in the 23 states (now 24) plus the District of Columbia, where the use of marijuana was already legal at the time of the poll, and those residing in the other 27 (now 26) states with more restrictive laws. In fact, 70% of adults expressed support for marijuana legalization in both groups.
Gallup conducted this poll from October 2 to October 23. The interviews were conducted with 1,009 adults aged 18 and up over the phone during this time, covering all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Gallup reports that the margin of error for results from this national adult group is about ±4 percentage points, with 95% confidence.
This poll coincides with a period in which marijuana is gaining legislative momentum.
In addition to Ohio becoming the latest state to legalize adult-use marijuana, bringing nearly half of the U.S. states to have marijuana legal at the state level, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently recommended easing restrictions on marijuana, following a review request from the Biden Administration last year. Furthermore, the Senate Committee has recently passed a marijuana banking bill aimed at facilitating access to financial and banking services for marijuana businesses.
