Only One in Ten Americans Support Federal Marijuana Ban
According to the latest survey conducted by Pew Research, just 11% of Americans support the current federal ban on marijuana.
Legalization of Cannabis Benefits the Economy
Pew Research surveyed 5,140 adults in the United States from January 16 to 21, 2024, and found that:
- 57% of respondents support legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana;
- 32% believe it’s time to legalize only medical marijuana;
- 11% oppose any reform to current drug policy.
Compared to a similar public opinion poll conducted in 2022, the number of people supporting the legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana has decreased by 3.5%. Meanwhile, support for legalizing only medical marijuana has increased by 6.7%, and the share of those opposing legalization has grown by 10%.
Americans who support legalization cited several reasons for their stance:
- It benefits the economy (52% of supporters);
- It makes the criminal justice system fairer (42%);
- It leads to a decrease in the use of other drugs (27%);
- It increases public safety (21%).
However, 29% of respondents believe that legalizing marijuana increases demand for illegal psychoactive substances, and 34% think legalization worsens the crime situation.
Legalization Meets Americans’ Expectations
Pew Research’s findings were commented on by Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML, an organization advocating for the end of marijuana prohibition. He stated: “People do not regret the legalization of cannabis. As more states legalize, public support for this measure grows significantly. This is mainly because the reform is working as expected. Voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of prohibition.”
According to Pew Research, 54% of Americans now live in areas where recreational marijuana is legal, and 74% live in states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1999. Today, there are about 15,000 licensed cannabis stores across the country, and the legal cannabis market reached $33.6 billion in sales in 2023.
As Armentano noted, if people were disappointed with the results of legalization, the idea would not enjoy such broad support, and government-regulated cannabis would not be in such high demand.