Poll: 81% of Adults for Medical Marijuana Legalization

According to a recently published nationwide poll by Harris Poll, more than 80% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

81% of poll respondents – including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – expressed support for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. The results are an increase from the 74% of respondents that expressed support for medical marijuana in a 2011 poll by Harris Poll.

49% of poll respondents stated they believed marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, which is up from 42% in the 2011 poll. Majorities of Democrats (58%) and Independents (55%) backed marijuana legalization, but only 27% of Republicans.

Several other recent polls, including those commissioned by the Pew Research Center, Fox News, and the General Social Survey, have also shown majority support for the legalization of recreational marijuana use for adults.

A majority of Republicans (51%) acknowledged that marijuana policy should be decided at the state level and not by the federal government. Only 47% of Independents and 37% of Democrats shared this position.

View the Harris Poll