COLORADO and Washington in the United States have legalised marijuana and so has the South American nation of Uruguay.

And it appears South Australians are also high on the idea of liberalising cannabis but mainly for medicinal purposes, according to the Sunday Mail-Advertiser Future SA law and order poll.

The survey of 2094 people found 41.6 per cent approved of the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal purposes only.

See results of the advertiser.com.au survey

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Just over a quarter of respondents, 26.2 per cent, said cannabis should be legalised for recreational use, and 32.2 per cent said cannabis should not be legalised at all.

Alan Salt from the Hemp Embassy said the growing acceptance of cannabis is part of a global trend.

“Portugal decriminalised over a year ago and civilisation hasn’t crumbled there,” Mr Salt said.

He said as a long-time recreational user of cannabis, he did not take the claims of medicinal benefits seriously until he saw it work for people.

He said cannabis can improve the efficiency of prescribed painkillers and is being studied for treatment of epilepsy.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana was legalised on January 1, the government this week predicted that marijuana taxes could add more than $100 million to its coffers.

In November, The Advertiser reported proposed changes to the law reducing the amount a user can carry without facing criminal charges.

Opposition substance abuse spokesman Duncan McFetridge revived a plan by independent MLC Ann Bressington to reduce the amount of cannabis for which a person is fined but not charged from 100g to less than 25g.

The Liberal Party is expected to revive the plan after the State Election.