Most American Voters Support Some Form Of Marijuana Legalization, Poll From Conservative Think Tank Shows
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An overwhelming 73 percent of American voters including a majority of Republicans, support some form of marijuana legalization for recreational or medical use—with most agreeing that the possession and sale of cannabis should be “legal under all circumstances.”
That’s according to a new poll from the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. The organization polled 2,304 voters who participated in last month’s election on a wide range of policy issues, including marijuana reform.
The results showed broad support for a variety of reform proposals, though respondents also expressed concern about issues such as impaired driving, underage use and public consumption.
Asked about their preferences for cannabis policy, 46 percent said it should be legal across the board, 19 percent said it should only be legalized for medical use and 8 percent said it should be legal to possess and grow but not commercially available. Just 12 percent said marijuana should be illegal.
The survey also included more targeted questions about how voters felt about specific components of adult-use marijuana laws. And while majorities said they support allowing possession (61 percent) and purchasing (62 percent) of cannabis, a slim plurality (43 percent) said the same about selling marijuana.
Another 69 percent said that it should be lawful for adults to smoke cannabis in their own home. But majorities said it should be illegal to consume in a public park (56 percent), on a bus or train (82 percent), at a bar or restaurant (74 percent) or within 30 yards of a school (82 percent).
There was also strong opposition to smoking while driving a car (82 percent). But in general, 63 percent said smoking as a method of consumption should be permitted.
Respondents were evenly divided about the effects of marijuana on individual consumers, with 41 percent saying it was either very or somewhat positive and 41 percent saying the opposite.
Marijuana
Public opinion on marijuana reflects a nuanced balance between support for legalization and concern over its broader societal impact. Majorities favor legalizing both the purchase (61%) and possession (62%) of recreational marijuana. However, voters are far more… pic.twitter.com/D6yEH5zFzz
— Jesse Arm (@Jesse_Leg) December 18, 2024
Fifty-seven percent agreed with the following statement: “If people want to consume marijuana, it’s not the government’s job to stop them. Americans should be free to do whatever they want with their bodies as long as they aren’t hurting others.”
On the other side, 28 percent agreed with this statement: “Legal marijuana will lead to smoke shops on corners, the smell of marijuana in our communities and dealers selling to kids. We should keep recreational marijuana illegal especially with medicinal marijuana widely available.”
The poll also went through a series of questions about what “worries” people about the impact of legalization. Here’s the percentage of respondents who said they were either extremely, very or somewhat worried about each issue:
- Car crashes from impaired driving: 77 percent
- Growing mental illness: 55 percent
- Rising addiction to cannabis: 60 percent
- Underage marijuana use: 79 percent
- Loss of motivation: 60 percent
The survey of 2,304 voters was conducted from December 4-7, with a +/- 2.9 percentage point margin of error.
“At a time when voters and politicians are largely divided, there is one issue that Americans largely agree upon: It’s time to legalize and regulate marijuana,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in a blog post reacting to the survey.
Meanwhile, as President Joe Biden faces pressure to expand cannabis clemency in his final weeks in office, a recent poll from Data For Progress found that 59 percent of Americans feel “all individuals with federal-marijuana related convictions” should be pardoned, while 63 percent said clemency should be extended to anyone convicted for simple possession of any drugs.
In terms of public support for marijuana legalization—measured by the question, “Do you think the use of marijuana should be legal, or not?”—Gallup’s latest data show a 68 percent favorability rate, down just slightly from 70 percent last year.
Pennsylvania Lawmaker Expects Vote On Marijuana Legalization Bill In ‘Early Spring’ 2025
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
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