The majority of registered voters in the United States believe that cannabis consumption ought to be legal for adults, according to polling data provided by Morning Consult and Politico.
Sixty percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “The use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States.” Only 27 percent of respondents disagreed.
Voters’ support for legalization was strongest among African Americans (72 percent), Democrats (71 percent), those between the ages of 18 and 44 (70 percent), Hispanics (67 percent), and Independents (61 percent). Republicans (47 percent) and those over the age of 65 (45 percent) failed to express majority support legalization.
Separately, more than four in ten voters (44 percent) said that it should be either a “top priority” or an “important priority” for Congress to “pass a bill to legalize marijuana.” Among registered Democrats, 54 percent prioritized legalization.
The survey data is consistent with numerous other polls showing majority support for cannabis legalization, and super-majority support among Democratic-leaning voters. Writing in a recently syndicated op-ed, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano emphasized this fact, opining, “Reforming America’s marijuana laws would galvanize the Democratic base while simultaneously appealing to many Republicans and independents — in a way that few if any other hot-button political issues would.”
Earlier this year, survey data provided by YouGov.com similar showed that a majority of Americans believe that Congress should amend federal law to legalize marijuana nationwide, explicitly permit banks and other financial institutions to partner with state-licensed marijuana businesses, and facilitate the expungement of marijuana-related convictions for non-violent offenders.
“Each of the major pieces of marijuana policy reform legislation currently pending before Congress enjoy majority support from the American people,” NORML’s Armentano said. “It is political malpractice for lawmakers, and for Democratic leadership especially, to continue to let these efforts languish at a time when most voters and when the majority of states have already rejected the failed policies of criminal prohibition.”
Additional polling data is available from NORML here.
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