Nearly six in ten Americans “support making marijuana legal in the United States,” according to nationwide polling compiled by The Economist and YouGov.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents endorse legalization, with support being strongest among Democrats (75 percent) and those between the ages of 45 and 64 (63 percent). Support was weakest among Republicans (50 percent).
By contrast, over 80 percent of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats say that cannabis should be available for medical purposes.
Public support for legalization is largely influenced by whether respondents had either first-hand or second-hand experience with cannabis. “The overwhelming majority (83 percent) of Americans who say they currently use marijuana recreationally or have used it in the past somewhat or strongly support making the use of marijuana legal,” pollsters reported. “In contrast, Americans who say they have never used marijuana either recreationally or medically and don’t know anyone who has are more likely to oppose legalization than to support it (46 percent vs. 32 percent).”
Overall, 41 percent of respondents said that they have personally consumed cannabis, while only 17 percent of respondents said they had not used marijuana and do not know anyone who has.
The poll’s results are consistent with those of dozens of other national surveys finding overwhelming public support for marijuana legalization.
Commenting on the poll’s results, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “There’s no ‘buyers’ remorse’ when it comes to cannabis. In fact, the more familiar people are with the use of cannabis, either by their own personal experience or by observing the experience of others, the more they favor its legalization. It’s high time for federal lawmakers to acknowledge this public consensus and advance efforts to repeal America’s outdated and unpopular marijuana criminalization laws.”
Complete results from The Economist/YouGov poll are available online. Additional polling data is available from NORML.
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