Three-quarters of British Columbians now favour moving away from cannabis prohibition and toward a system of regulation and taxation, an Angus Reid poll released today shows.

The new poll, conducted between October 22 and 24, shows an increase of six percentage points from a year ago in the number of British Columbians who support regulation.

The poll was released this morning by the Stop the Violence BC coalition, which proposes changes to marijuana laws to curtail gang violence.

"These results reveal a quite remarkable and growing dissatisfaction among British Columbians with the status quo and an eagerness for policymakers to pursue an entirely new approach to cannabis policy," Mario Canseco, vice-president, Angus Reid Public Opinion, said in a coalition news release.

"These beliefs cut across political, social and regional lines. I can't think of any other issue where the laws on the books are inconsistent with the wishes of three-quarters of British Columbians."

The poll also found that only 14 per cent of British Columbians believe possession of a marijuana cigarette should lead to a criminal record, down from 20% one year ago.