Public opinion on Marijuana Legalization appears to have crossed a major threshold: For the first time a Gallup poll found that a solid majority of American adults supports making marijuana legal. Fifty eight percent Americans say the drug should be legal according to Gallup’s latest survey, compared with 39 percent who oppose legalization. The other 3 percent had no opinion.
When Gallup first asked about pot in 1961, only 12 percent favored marijuana legalization. That weed-backing minority grew to 28 by 1977 and then stagnated for two decades before starting to steadily pick up more supporters around the year 2000.
As far as Gallup’s surveys go public support for pot legalization up from 50 percent in November last year. Democrats and Republicans remain divided on the issue; 65 percent of Democrats favor making marijuana legal, while just 35 percent of Republicans said the same. Younger Americans, ages 18 to 29 are more likely to support legalizing marijuana than any other age group, with 67 percent in favor. Americans 60 and older are the only age group with majority 53 percent opposing marijuana legalization.
Marijuana is currently legal for medical use in more than 15 U.S. states, including California, Arizona and Maine. Most patients need to obtain a prescription for the drug from their doctors and buy the drug from dispensaries. Recreational Marijuana sales meanwhile have begun in Colorado and Washington as early as January 2014 after both states passed ballot initiatives. The acceptance of marijuana use over the past four decades could be attributed to changing social mores, Gallup researchers said.
“The increasing prevalence of medical marijuana as a socially acceptable way to alleviate symptoms of disease such as arthritis and as a way to mitigate side effects of chemotherapy may have also contributed to Americans growing support” Gallup officials wrote adding that the changing tide in public opinion on pot will likely spur further legalization measures.
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