According to a Pew Research poll, 57 percent of adults living in the US believe cannabis should be legalized, with 37 percent opposed. Just 10 years ago, polling by the group found the support virtually flipped — 60 percent said it should remain illegal, while 32 percent supported legalization.
The survey was released Oct. 12.
Millennials were the strongest supporters — 71 percent indicated they back legalization with 25 percent opposed. The majority of Generation Xers (57 percent) and Baby Boomers (56 percent) also said cannabis should be legalized. Pollsters referred to individuals aged 71 to 88 as the “Silent” generation, and that group was against legalization 59 percent to 33 percent.
As usual, the majority of Republicans still back keeping the drug outlawed — 41 percent supported legalization compared to 55 percent opposed. While Democrat respondents supported legalization 66 percent to 30 percent.
The poll backs those conducted in the five states with adult-use measures on next month’s general election ballot. According to our poll aggregates, polls in each state voting on legalization have found that the public backs those measures. In California, which many advocates and experts point to as the game changer state in the legalization fight, the polls mirror the Pew results – 61 percent say they will vote for Proposition 64, with 36 percent opposed.