​More Americans than ever before say they believe cannabis should be legal. A new Gallup Poll finds that nationally, a new high of 46 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing marijuana, and a new low of 50 percent are opposed. The increase in support this year from 44 percent in 2009 is not statistically significant, according to Gallup, but is a continuation of an upward trend seen since 2000.

“Those numbers are evidence that Americans are increasingly rejecting the notion that otherwise law-abiding adults should be criminalized for using a substance that is less harmful than alcohol,” said Mike Meno, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project

On Election Day, November 2, voters in California, Arizona, South Dakota, and Oregon will consider statewide marijuana reform ballot measures.

About eight in 10 Americans were opposed to legalizing marijuana when Gallup first began asking about it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Support for legalizing pot jumped to 31 percent in 2000 after holding in the 25 percent range from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.





A separate question in the poll asked about legalizing marijuana for medical use, and found support significantly higher than it is for pot legalization in general.

​Seventy percent of Americans said they favor making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering. This figure is slightly down, however, from 78 percent in 2005 and 75 percent in 2003.

Across many subgroups, 72 percent of liberals support marijuana legalization, by far the highest of any subgroup polled. There is widespread support for legalization among 18- to 29-year-olds as well, at 61 percent.

Majority support for legalization is also found among Democrats (55 percent), independents (54 percent), men (51 percent), and political moderates (51 percent).

A large majority (58 percent) of those living in the West, encompassing California, are in favor of making cannabis legal. Support is significantly lower in the South (40 percent) and the Midwest (42 percent).

Political conservatives (30 percent) and Republicans (29 percent) are the least supportive of legalizing marijuana. Seniors express a similarly low level of support at 32 percent.

Women, at 41 percent, are 10 percentage points less likely then men to favor legalizing cannabis.

These demographic, political, and ideological differences in support are much the same as they were in 2009, according to Gallup.