Two Polls Find Record-Breaking Support for Cannabis Reforms

Two polls released last week — one from the Pew Research Center and one from Quinnipiac University — demonstrate new, record-breaking support for medical and adult-use cannabis reforms in the U.S.

The Pew poll showed that an overwhelming majority of Americans — more than 9 in 10 — support legalizing cannabis for either medical or adult use. The survey, conducted from April 5-11, found that only 8% of respondents favored continuing federal cannabis prohibition.

Pew reported that Republicans were more “wary” than Democrats when it came to adult-use legalization (supported by just 47% of Republicans compared to 72% of Democrats), but the ideological differences shrank when adjusted for age with younger voters from both parties far more likely to support the reforms.

The Quinnipiac poll found that 7 in 10 Americans support federally legalizing adult-use cannabis. The poll surveyed 1,237 U.S. adults from around the country from April 8-12, and the results mark “a record level of support” for cannabis legalization since the pollsters first started weighing the popularity of cannabis reforms in 2012.

2021 has already been a landmark year for cannabis legalization, with adult-use reforms now approved in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and New Mexico. Meanwhile, legalization momentum in Mexico is poised to leave the United States as North America’s last holdout for cannabis prohibition — although congressional Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are expected to release a federal legalization proposal soon.