For the first time, Gallup Poll shows majority support for marijuana legalization nationwide
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October 17, 2011
NORML's Chart of Legalization Polls - data compiled by Russ Belville from various organizations asking a form of the question "Should marijuana be legalized in America?" (click graphic for full-sized version)
A Gallup Poll released today showed that, for the first time in its 42-year history of asking the question, a majority of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized nationwide.
Gallup reports that the 50% nationwide support for legalization also represents the first time support has outweighed opposition. Only 46% of Americans believe marijuana should remain criminalized, with 4% undecided.
Support for marijuana legalization remains greatest in the Western states (55%) and majorities support legalization in the Midwest (54%) and East (51%). Only voters in the South still oppose marijuana legalization (44%). Men still support legalization at a much greater rate than women (55% vs. 46%).
Support is also greatest among younger Americans (62%), Democrats (57%), and liberals (69%). However, support for legalization has increased even in demographics generally opposed to legalization. Compared to Gallup’s poll last year, support increased 4% points in the South, 12% points in the Midwest, and 6% points among 50-64, but fell 1% among 65+. Support rose 6% points among Republicans, and 4% points among conservatives. Marijuana legalization is becoming more popular with just about everyone.
Gallup Polls Support and Opposition to Marijuana Legalization 1969-2011
One third of jurisdictions in the United States – 16 states plus District of Columbia for 17 out of 51 – exempt medical use of cannabis from criminal prosecution. Yet the federal government has initiated a new full-court press against these jurisdictions in an attempt to kill the burgeoning medical marijuana industry. This despite Gallup’s most recent poll to ask about legalizing medical marijuana (in 2003) showing 75% support nationwide.
One might think this escalation in the War on (Certain American Citizens Using Non-Pharmaceutical, Non-Alcoholic, Tobacco-Free) Drugs is designed to hamstring the state initiatives to legalize marijuana in 2012 by cutting the purse strings of the movement. When three-quarters of Americans support legalizing medical cannabis use, half support outright legalization of all cannabis use, and one-third of the states are openly defying federal prohibition, federal retribution in service of the status quo is inevitable.
Since 2005, support for marijuana legalization is up among all demographic groups polled.
The question is: what will you do to push the issue over the tipping point? Register to vote? Contact your legislators? Join a local NORML chapter? Contribute to National NORML? Get educated on the issues? Join together with like-minded women? Reach out to seniors? Follow the latest marijuana news? Learn from the experts? These latest federal actions should show you that they aren’t going to legalize marijuana any time soon – it’s up to you to act now.
Post updated to fix a mistyped “fell” to “rose”
187 Responses to “For the first time, Gallup Poll shows majority support for marijuana legalization nationwide”
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Something like 80% of Americans sad no to the 780 billion stimulus proposed by President Bush.Same as the health care and stimulus 2 proposals of President Obama and friend.Point is if 80% of Americans want legalization of marijuana it would not matter.
I agree …. not only must the people want it – they must also feel that they need things to change in order to exert any kind of pressure on the politicians. I suspect that if the question was about needing a change in the law rather than accepting a point of view then percentage in favour would be lower.
It depends on what polls you go by.There are so many it’s treally hard to get any exact and reliable figures.Last time I checked which was well over a month ago it was 77 percent of all voting age Americans are demanding that medicinal marijuana be legalised and not on a state byu state basis but nation wide which is logical as compared to state by state.If they use the state by state method then peole are simply going to go the the closest state to there;s and will have someone they know get it for them,simple enough but if it
s nationwide then every state and local government gets to enjoy the tax revues it would generate which would be a huge amount needless to say.This holds true as well for the federal government who are going to make more than any state government is gonna make off of it.But still with over 77 percent thats over 3/4′s of the country and if you add the 18 to 21 crowd then it becomes more like 90 percent easily and considering a person cn put his/her lives on the line by joining the military then it only makes sense that they should be allowed to use it as well but we are talking medicinal here nd not all out legalisation.I find it extremely disturbing that the federl government would aprove a new pain killer thats almosty pure hydrosodone which in it’s smallest amounts is extremely addictive and in the larger amounts can be deadly yet when it comrs to harmless medicinal marijuana of which they do have all of the very well documented and scientific eveidence or [proof that it really does work they have a serious problem.they have also aproved anothe new med in which the extremely addictive and deadly oxycodone is the base element of it and it’s been aporved to be sold over the counter.Now we al know that in a matter on one-two weeks after it hits the streets somebody will figure out how to extract the oxycodone out of the med so it can be abused by a variety of methods.None of this makes any sense at all whatsoever.What it shows me is just how corrupted our congress and senate truly are.Their getting bribes and gig payoffs in exchage for voting no all of the tim for medicinal marijuana and it’s past time they were exposed of doing htis and yes it can be done of we really want it to happen which is whats needed to happen
Right now we have over 77 percent of all voting age adults demanding that medicinal marijuana be made legal nation wide.State by state simply would not work at all,it will have to be for everyone this way the VA’s could also prescribe it for so many things from permanant chronic pain which I have as well as PTSd which I also have m among a host of other military realted disabilitys and it works a hell of a lot better thn the loratab10′s which don’t work all that well anymore ever since they cut back the tylenol additiv from 500 mgs down to 325mgs so now I also take percocet 20′s plus 90 mgs of morphine every day plus the heavy duty tranws and sedatives.After much expierimenting over th years I have found that marijuana used in small amounts work 10 times bettter than all of these other narcotic meds thay currently have me taking.It works faster,lasts longer and no side effcts like with the meds they use right now plus there’s no danger to the kidneys and or liver either.If used witha vaporiser or in eadibles it totaly eliminates any smoke therefore no lung or braeting problems.I feel that we deserve to use what we wish without being punished for using it and that it is our right to do so
It doesn’t matter what the American people say or want. The american people didn’t want bush and he was president again. The government does NOT want competition. Theres to much money in the prison system.
It does not matter what the people of our country want. The democratic way is a thing of the past. The globalists will do what ever they want. It has been proven time and time again.
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue to [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue to [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue to [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue to [...]
[...] they unwisely continue to support a failed public policy like Cannabis Prohibition–when over 50% of the public now support long overdue cannabis law reforms–citizens (and an increasing number of elected policymakers) at the state level will continue [...]
[...] to source: http://blog.norml.org/2011/10/17/for-the-first-time-gallup-poll-shows-majority-support-for-marijuana… Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted in [...]
Well who gives a shit? Only illegal immigrants give a shit
Make. It legal. And build. Better. School’s. And things. For our youth. Instead. Of taking. Our money locking people up
We will force the supreme court to decide once and for all when the november initiatives for legalization pass. The fed full court press is because they realize the genie is out of the bottle and their controlovervthe people is diminishing. Scotus is going to slap down all of obamas laws and legalization os mjand another states right fight over weed will seal the deal for power hungry bureaucrats loss.
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[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
[...] 50% of the US population favor legalizing cannabis (75% support medical access). These days one of the major questions asked repeatedly of NORML by [...]
Marijauna prohibition is a cruel and oppressive miscarriage of American justice
Stop the ARD’s and fines for responsible citizens who are otherwise law abiding but wish to smoke pot… its that simple.