More Americans say using marijuana is morally acceptable—or not a moral issue at all—than those who say the same about gambling, watching pornography, having an abortion, being gay and more, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. The survey also shows that people with lower levels of education are more likely to have moral concerns about cannabis.
The poll, which assessed public opinion around questions of morality across the globe, additionally revealed that the U.S. is something of an outlier, as the majority (52 percent) of people polled in the 25 countries said using cannabis was immoral.
Of the nine policy issues that respondents were asked about, the only other where an international majority described it as morally unacceptable (77 percent) was having an affair while married.
But in the U.S., where nearly all states have enacted some form of cannabis legalization for either medical or recreational purposes and where federal rescheduling may be imminent, adults involved in the survey strongly signaled that they didn’t view marijuana use as a moral shortcoming.
In fact, 76 percent of Americans said using cannabis is either morally acceptable (24 percent) or not a moral issue (52 percent), compared to 23 percent who called the activity morally unacceptable.
Other issues that Americans found morally acceptable (or not a moral concern) but at equal or lower levels than marijuana use were divorce (76 percent), gambling (70 percent), homosexuality (60 percent), abortion (52 percent).
Respondents in the U.S. were more likely to call it morally acceptable (or a non-issue) to use birth control (91 percent) or drink alcohol (84 percent). Meanwhile, a minority said the same about viewing porn (47 percent) or having an affair while married (9 percent).
The alcohol finding isn’t particularly surprising, as more Americans report drinking alcohol than use cannabis—and alcohol’s status as a widely available legal substance for adults in all 50 states may contribute to perceptions of morality—but it also comes amid a broader shift in public opinion that’s been detailed in prior polling.
For example, a survey released last year found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and most also expect cannabis to be legal nationwide within the next five years.
A demographic breakdown of the latest Pew poll also found that U.S. adults with more education were more likely to say marijuana use is either morally acceptable or a non-issue (79 percent) compared to those with less education (74 percent).
The divide is more pronounced on the global level, however.
“On nearly all the behaviors we asked about, adults with less education are more likely than those with more education to say each behavior is morally unacceptable,” Pew’s analysis says. “This pattern is readily apparent when considering the numbers who say using marijuana is wrong. In Mexico, for example, 70 percent of adults with less than a secondary education view marijuana use as morally wrong, compared with 39 percent of Mexican adults who have at least a secondary education. Even in places where relatively few adults say that using marijuana is wrong—like Canada, Germany and the U.S.—those with lower levels of education consistently express more moral objections.”
The Pew survey analyzed data from 12,542 U.S. adults who participated in two prior nationally representative surveys in March and May of last year—as well as 28,333 adults across 24 other countries from January 8, 2025 to April 26, 2025.
Outside of the U.S., the survey involved interviews with adults in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, back in 2018, Gallup also asked U.S. adults about the morality of various issues. It found that Americans view cannabis consumption as more moral than the death penalty, medical testing on animals, physician assisted suicide, abortion, pornography, cloning animals, polygamy and extramarital affairs.
Pew released a poll last year that showed an overwhelming majority of Americans—nearly nine in 10—support legalizing marijuana in some form.
An earlier Pew survey from 2024 separately highlighted views on the societal impacts of recreational legalization, and a majority (52 percent) said the reform is “good” for local economies. A 42 percent plurality additionally agreed that legalization would make the criminal justice system “more fair.”
Photo courtesy of Max Jackson.
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