A new Gallup poll has revealed that a whopping 68 percent of Americans now favor recreational cannabis legalization.
This represents the highest percentage of support ever captured by the polling organization in its annual report.
It was in 1969 that Gallup had asked Americans for the first time about cannabis legalization and only 12 percent of respondents indicated their support. In 1996, the same year California passed Proposition 215, Gallup found only 25 percent of Americans were in favor of legalization.
Not only has support increased dramatically but the data from Gallup has also revealed that support is rising in almost every age group. For example, 55 percent of Americans age 65 and over now approve of cannabis legalization.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study earlier this year that showed a substantial rise in cannabis use by seniors.
With several states legalizing the drug recreationally with the election this month, support continues to grow. Voters in Arizona, New Jersey, Montana, South Dakota, and Mississippi approved pro-cannabis measures on Election Day.
“It should come as no surprise that support for making cannabis legal continues to climb as more states regulate the substance and voters are able to see the benefits of legal cannabis markets,” said Aaron Smith, co-founder and chief executive officer for the National Cannabis Industry Association.
“When more than two-thirds of Americans support legalization and now more than one-third live in legal states, we are quickly approaching a tipping point for cannabis policy. Federal lawmakers need to listen to their constituents and support sensible comprehensive reforms now.”
“In national polls and at the ballot box, the American public has spoken loudly and clearly,” NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri said. “The overwhelming majority of Americans favor ending the failed policies of marijuana prohibition and replacing it with a policy of legalization, regulation, taxation, and public education.”
