OTTAWA — A majority of Americans and Canadians want marijuana legalized, saying cannabis should be readily available for those who want to use it, according to a survey released Thursday.

The Angus Reid online survey of 2,007 people in the two countries found that 57 percent of Canadians and 54 percent of Americans support the legalization of pot.

The bulk of that support comes from 18-to-34 year olds in the United States (65 percent) and those aged 35-to-54 in Canada (61 percent).

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Furthermore two-thirds of Canadians and Americans expect their respective governments to end marijuana prohibition within a decade.

Earlier this month Colorado became the first US state to approve a proposal to legalize marijuana, including for recreational use. Washington followed suit while Oregon rejected a similar proposal.

Canada and a number of US states have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The public opinion poll has a 3.1 percent margin of error.