New Poll: 81% of Americans Support Legalizing Medical Cannabis
A new Harris Poll has found that an overwhelming majority of Americans support legalizing medical cannabis, and a plurality support legalizing recreational cannabis. According to the survey, support for the legalization of cannabis for both medical treatment and recreational use has increased by seven percentage points over the past four years.
“Currently, four in five adults (81%) favor legalizing marijuana for medical use, up from 2011 when three quarters of Americans (74%) indicated the same”, says Hannah Pollack, Research Analyst for The Harris Poll. “Meanwhile, half of Americans are supportive of legalizing marijuana for recreational use (49%), up from the two fifths (42%) who felt that way in 2011.”
According to Pollack; “Nearly nine in ten Democrats and Independents are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical treatment (87% & 86%, respectively) and over half support recreational use (58% & 55%, respectively). While a majority – albeit a slimmer one – of Republicans also support the legalization medical marijuana (69% support, 23% oppose), a similar majority opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use (27% support, 65% oppose).”
The Harris Poll included 2,221 U.S. adult participants who were surveyed between February 11th and 17th of this year.
Begun in 1963, The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys measuring public opinion in the United States.
– TheJointBlog