Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans believe that marijuana should be in the United States, according to the findings of a new public opinion poll. The survey by the Pew Research Center, which was released by the firm on Thursday, found that 88% of respondents said that cannabis should be legal for medical or recreational use by adults.
The poll found that a strong majority (57%) of Americans said they believe that weed should be legal for recreational and medical purposes, while less than a third (32%) said that marijuana should be legal for medical use only. Only 11% of those polled said that cannabis should not be legal for any purpose.
Impacts Of Legalizing Recreational Pot
The results of the new poll and previous surveys show that opinions about marijuana legalization have remained fairly constant over the past five years. However, the new research also revealed that Americans have split opinions on the impact of legalizing recreational marijuana.
Just over half (52%) said that legalizing the use of recreational marijuana is good for local economies, while only 17% said it is bad. Nearly three out of 10 (29%) said that legalizing recreational weed has no impact on local economies.
About four out of 10 (42%) respondents said that legalizing recreational marijuana, also referred to as adult-use cannabis, makes the criminal justice system more fair, while a similar number (38%) said the reform has no impact on fairness. Less than one in five (19%) said that legalizing recreational marijuana makes the justice system less fair.
Similar to previous polls, the new survey found that young adults aged 18-29 showed the strongest support for ending the prohibition on marijuana, with 71% saying recreational weed should be legal. Among adults aged 30-49, 62% said recreational cannabis should be legalized. Half (50%) of adults aged 50-64 and 65-74 said pot should be legal for all adults, while less than a third (31%) of those aged 75 and up said the same.
Democrats were most supportive of cannabis policy reforms, with nearly three-quarters (72%) saying pot should be legal for both medical and recreational purposes. By contrast, only 42% of those who identified as Republicans said they believe adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana should be legalized.
The poll also found other differences in Americans’ views on the effect of legalizing recreational. While 29% said it increases the use of other drugs such as heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, a similar percentage (27%) said that legalizing recreational pot reduces the use of other recreational drugs. Just over four out of 10 said the move does not impact the use of other drugs. Republicans were more likely to believe this debunked “gateway drug” theory, with 42% of GOP voters saying legalizing recreational marijuana increases the use of other drugs while only 17% of Democrats said the same.
Progress On Marijuana Legalization Continues
The results of the new poll come as the number of states that have legalized marijuana continues to grow. So far, 24 states have legalized cannabis for all adults and 38 have legalized medical marijuana. Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, noted that no state has backtracked on legalizing recreational pot after taking the step.
“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it comes to legalizing cannabis,” NORML’s deputy director Paul Armentano said in a statement from the group after the results of the latest Pew Research marijuana poll were released. “As more states have adopted legalization, public support for this policy has risen dramatically. That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of cannabis prohibition. Elected officials who refuse to take action to end cannabis criminalization do so at their own political peril.”