New Poll Shows Support for Pot Legalization Has Reached Record High of 60%

A new Gallup poll released Wednesday shows support for making marijuana legal in the U.S. has reached a record high of 60%, up from 58% last year and 50% in 2011.

A national poll released last week by the Pew Research Center also found support is growing, with 57% of Americans saying they think the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from 53% last year.

The news comes as voters in five states begin to vote on ballot initiatives to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use. Early voting began this week in Massachusetts and Nevada, and it began last week in Arizona, California, and Maine.
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“Three out of five Americans are ready to end prohibition and adopt a more sensible marijuana policy,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project Support for making marijuana legal increased among all age groups, from college freshmen to senior citizens. Marijuana is significantly less harmful than alcohol for society. It should come as little surprise that a growing majority of our society wants it to be treated that way.

“Over the past four years, this increase in public support nationwide has manifested itself in major state-level policy changes. Four states and our nation’s capital have voted to make marijuana legal for adults, and five more could do the same in just a few weeks. In several states where ballot measures aren’t an option, legislatures are taking a closer look at this issue than ever before. When it comes to ending marijuana prohibition, the writing is not just on the wall, but also on state ballots and bills throughout the country.”