Americans’ support for marijuana legalization is now higher than ever
As younger people grow up and increasingly dominate politics, it’s going to be much more difficult for lawmakers to oppose relaxing marijuana laws
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Five states will vote on whether to fully legalize marijuana in November. Supporters of those initiatives got some pretty good news: Support for marijuana legalization in the US has reached historic highs. A Pew Research Center survey of 1,201 US adults, conducted in late August and early September, found that 57 percent support legalization, while just 37 percent oppose it. That’s up from 53 percent support in 2014 and a near reversal from just a decade ago, when 32 percent backed legalization and 60 percent opposed it. (See also: Why is support for marijuana legalization hitting record heights?)