Marijuana use and possession is illegal under U.S. federal law, but in recent years more states have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational purposes. A change in the legal environment has coincided with a dramatic increase in public support for legalization, which is now supported by the majority of Americans.
Here are seven facts about how Americans view and experience marijuana, based on Pew Research Center research and other sources.
As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, the Pew Research Center examined American opinions about legalization and how these opinions have changed over time.
Data are based on research by the Pew Research Center, Gallup and the 2021 National Substance Use and Health Survey by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Information about jurisdictions where marijuana is legal at the state level is provided by the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform.
The October 10-16, 2022 center survey was conducted with 5,098 adults. All participants are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). ATP is an online survey panel recruited from randomized addresses nationwide. In this way, virtually every adult in the United States has the opportunity to choose. The survey is weighted to be representative of the US adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, party affiliation, education, and other categories. Read more about ATP methodology.
Below are the questions, answers and methodology used in this report.
About 9 in 10 Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use. According to an October 2022 Pew Research Center study. An overwhelming majority (88%) of US adults say marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. and Should be legal only for recreational use (59%) or for medical purposes (30%). One in ten, he said, should not be legal in any form. These views have stabilized since April 2021.
Public support for marijuana legalization varies widely by age, political party, race and ethnicity. According to an October 2022 study, adults over the age of 75 are far less likely than younger adults to support legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical purposes. Three of her 10 adults over the age of 75, she believes, should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use. In contrast, 72% of adults under 30 support legalizing medical and recreational use.
Democrats and pro-democracy independents are more likely than Republicans and pro-Republican supporters to support legalizing marijuana for both purposes (73% vs. 45%).
A majority of black adults (68%) and white adults (60%) use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, compared to smaller proportions of Hispanics (49%) and Asian Americans (48%). I think it should be legal in
Proponents and opponents of marijuana legalization give different reasons for their views. According to a Gallup survey conducted in 2019. Americans in favor of legalization said marijuana’s perceived medical benefits (86%) and legalization of the drug would encourage law enforcement to use other types of medicine. They were most likely to cite two reasons as very important to the idea that they would be able to concentrate: Crime (70%).
among the Americans opposed Regarding the legalization of marijuana, 79% said a very important reason would be an increase in the number of car accidents involving drivers who use marijuana. cites as a very important reason that legalization encourages more people to use more potent and addictive drugs.
Support for marijuana legalization has increased dramatically over the past two decades. In addition to asking specifically about the drug’s medical and recreational use, the Center previously asked Americans about legalizing marijuana use in general. Two-thirds of adults said they supported the legalization of marijuana, more than twice as many in the 2000 Gallup survey.
Less than half (46%) of US adults say they have used marijuana. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This is lower than those who have ever drank alcohol (78%) or used tobacco products (57%).
The same survey found that many Americans say they have used marijuana, but far fewer are current users. 13% said they have used it in the past month.
Most Americans support easing penalties for people convicted of marijuana. A center survey for October 2021 was found. Two-thirds of his adults say they support releasing people from prison who are incarcerated solely for marijuana-related crimes. strongly I support this. And about 6 in 10 adults (61%) support removing or expunging marijuana-related offenses from people’s criminal records.
Young adults, Democrats, and Black Americans are especially likely to support these changes. For example, nearly three-quarters (74%) of black adults support releasing from prison those detained solely for marijuana-related offenses, and similarly many support removing marijuana-related offenses from criminal records. I support deleting or erasing. Black Americans are more likely than people of other races and ethnic backgrounds to support these changes.
As of April 2023, 21 states and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use. According to the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform (NORML), an advocacy group that tracks state-level legislation on the issue. About 48% live in jurisdictions where recreational marijuana is legal. Still, earlier this year, voters in Oklahoma rejected a proposal to legalize the drug for recreational use. A law was passed to legalize the
Separately, more than 30 states, not just DC, have approved some form of medical marijuana program. In March, Kentucky became the latest state to pass legislation legalizing drugs for medical purposes. (74%). Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have also passed medical marijuana laws.
Many states have enacted laws that reduce criminal penalties for certain marijuana-related convictions or allow the expungement of past convictions.
Note: This is an update to a post originally published on April 26, 2021. Below are the questions, answers and methodology used in this report.
