Poll: Most Americans Support Biden Pardons & Want State-Level Action

A recent YouGov America poll found a 61% majority of Americans in support of President Biden’s move last week to pardon federal convictions related to cannabis possession and personal use. Additionally, 62% of Americans said they would like to see their own governors to follow suit and issue sweeping cannabis pardons at the state level, according to a follow-up question posed by the pollster.

YouGov found that 26% of respondents disapproved of the president’s move to pardon federal cannabis offenses while 13% were uncertain. Meanwhile, 25% of respondents disapproved of the idea of state-level pardons with 14% uncertain.

According to a final follow-up question, 25% of Americans support the current Schedule I status of cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, which is reserved for “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” while 51% said that cannabis should not be considered a Schedule I drug and 24% were unsure.

The polling comes amid historic support for the federal reform of cannabis laws, with another poll released last week recording 60% support nationwide for cannabis legalization.

Nineteen states have already established adult-use cannabis reforms while five more states are set to consider their own legalization proposals this November.