Gallup Poll Finds Most Americans Consider Marijuana Use Morally Acceptable

The results of a recent Gallup poll reveal that a majority of Americans now view marijuana use as a morally acceptable activity. The quality and significance of any public opinion poll depend largely on the questions asked. In the past, experts struggled to accurately gauge public attitudes toward marijuana legalization because the right questions were not being posed. Earlier this month, Gallup analysts released the results of a groundbreaking survey that, for the first time, measured not just the reasons behind support for marijuana reform, but also Americans’ personal feelings and moral attitudes toward recreational marijuana use.

This poll focused on the moral aspect of marijuana consumption and legalization, clearly demonstrating to experts that most Americans do not consider marijuana use to be immoral or criminal.

Significant Shifts in Public Attitudes Toward Legalization

For several years, various national and regional polls have shown a steady increase in support for both medical and recreational marijuana legalization in the United States. The idea of federal decriminalization is especially popular, with about 61% of American adults now supporting full federal legalization of marijuana (some polls even report support as high as 64%). This percentage continues to rise each year. For example, the 61% figure reported at the end of last year is 4% higher than the results from a similar poll in late 2016. At the start of the 21st century, in mid-2000, only about 31% of Americans supported legalization.

Analysts note that support for marijuana reform is growing steadily across different social and age groups. Unsurprisingly, the strongest supporters of full legalization are younger people with progressive and liberal values, while older Americans and those with conservative views are less likely to approve of such reforms.

The new Gallup poll shows that people from a wide range of age and political groups do not see marijuana use as immoral. For the first time, Gallup surveyed 1,000 respondents nationwide, asking whether they considered marijuana use and alcohol consumption to be morally acceptable.

The results show that 78% of respondents support moderate alcohol consumption, with only 19% considering drinking to be morally wrong. When it comes to marijuana, respondents were slightly less enthusiastic, but a majority—about 65%—agreed that there is nothing morally wrong with using marijuana. Only 31% said that marijuana use is immoral behavior.

The Impact of Religion on Support for Legalization

Given that the United States has deep religious roots, especially from its Puritan heritage, the country has long stood out among developed nations for its high levels of religiosity. Religious dogmas that prohibit intoxication have often been used by authorities to justify the criminalization and supposed immorality of drug use. As a result, more religious individuals are less likely to support marijuana reform, a trend confirmed by the new poll.

The report notes that higher levels of religiosity (such as frequent church attendance) are directly linked to lower support for legalization. For example, only about 41% of regular churchgoers support marijuana reform, while other religious respondents are more likely to oppose it. Interestingly, this group is more tolerant of alcohol consumption: 60% of religious respondents did not consider drinking alcohol to be immoral behavior.

On the other hand, about 75% of atheists and non-religious respondents expressed approval of regulated and moderate marijuana use. Most of this group (88%) also approve of responsible alcohol consumption.

Americans and the Future of National Legalization

Overall, the results of the new poll are consistent with previous findings. For comparison, last year’s poll confirmed that 61% of voters would support full federal legalization of marijuana, which is close to the 65% in the new poll who consider marijuana use morally acceptable.

The strongest supporters of reform are young people under 29 years old. Higher support for marijuana use is also seen among men and white Americans.

In conclusion, the numbers clearly indicate that most Americans have no objection to legal marijuana. It is highly unlikely that public support for legalization will suddenly decline in the future. For this reason, it is hard to imagine that U.S. authorities will be able to ignore voters’ calls for decisive marijuana reforms at the federal level for much longer.