Small Majority of Americans Believe Open Cannabis Consumption is Socially Acceptable

A small majority of Americans believe consuming cannabis openly is socially acceptable, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll. The survey found 53% of respondents have no problems with open, social, cannabis use, with 47% opposed.

The poll found 64% backed adult-use cannabis legalization with 36% opposed. Those backing the reforms included 73% of Democrats, 53% of Republicans, and 66% of independents; while 27% of Democrats opposed adult-use legalization along with 47% of Republicans and 34% of independents.

In the poll, 67% of respondents said their opinions of family members and friends would not change if they were to use cannabis, while 26% would “think worse” of them and 7% would “think better” of them. More than half of respondents (54%) said most of their family and friends’ opinions of them would not change were they to consume cannabis openly, while 38% said those close to them would think worse of them and 8% said they would think better of them.

The poll found 11% of respondents said “most” of their family and friends use cannabis, while 32% said some do, some don’t. Another 28% said very few of their family and friends consume cannabis and 29% said none of their family and friends use it.

Forty-four percent of those polled who consume cannabis said most people know about their use, while 34% said some do, some don’t, and 22% said very few or no one knew they consumed cannabis.

Poll respondents were split about whether they wanted a cannabis business in their neighborhood, with 31% favoring a cannabis business in their neighborhood, with 37% opposed, and 32% saying it wouldn’t matter. Among those who favored a cannabusiness in their neighborhood, 85% said it would be easier to regulate, 83% said it was already widespread, 81% said it would boost the local economy, 77% said it would lead to more tax revenues, and 54% said they would personally use the dispensary.

Among those opposed to cannabusinesses in their neighborhood, 87% said it would lead to more cannabis use among minors, 83% said it would make their neighborhood less desirable, 82% said it would lead to an increase in crime, 80% said cannabis is harmful to health, and 72% cited the fact that cannabis is federally outlawed. In all, 28% of respondents already had a cannabis business in their neighborhood, 25% didn’t know whether there was a cannabusiness in their neighborhood, while 46% did not have any cannabis operations around them.

The poll included 1,582 U.S. adult residents.