According to a new Data for Progress survey, the vast majority of likely voters in the U.S. support legalizing marijuana on the federal level.
The survey found 65% of likely U.S. voters to be in support of federal marijuana legalization, including 75% of Democrats, 67% of independents and 52% of Republicans. Voters also support marijuana policies that prioritize minority communities for dispensary licenses and tax revenue.
The Data for Progress survey of 1,228 likely voters in December 2022 examined whether voters support the U.S. government legalizing the adult use of recreational marijuana. The survey also gauged voter support for the U.S. government passing both of the equitable policy measures in New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
“We find that voters overwhelmingly support the legalization of recreational marijuana by the U.S. government. We also find support among voters for the U.S. government to pass both policy measures if it were to legalize recreational marijuana”, states the survey.
“We first informed voters who saw the license policy measure that it mandates that the first 100-200 licenses for opening dispensaries will be reserved for individuals and communities affected by cannabis prohibition”, states the survey. “We find that if the U.S. government were to legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana, voters support this policy measure being passed by a +23-point margin. Democrats and Independents support its passage by a +47-point margin and a +31-point margin, respectively. However, Republicans oppose this policy measure being passed by a -9-point margin.
For respondents who were shown the community grant fund policy measure Data for Progress informed them that this measure diverts 40 percent of marijuana revenue collected to a community grant fund that can help fund community-based initiative programs.
“If the U.S. government were to legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana, voters support this policy measure being passed by a +37-point margin. In contrast to the license policy measure, we find that Republicans support this policy measure, by a +10-point margin. We also find consistent support for this policy measure among Democrats (76 percent) and Independents (70 percent).”
Data for Progress concludes:
Our poll shows that voters are ready for the U.S. government to finally legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana. It also shows that when the U.S. government does legalize recreational marijuana, voters support passing equitable policies with it that aid minority communities, including reserving dispensary licenses for individuals affected by cannabis prohibition and diverting portions of marijuana revenue to community grant funds. It is time for the U.S. government to right its previous wrongs from the failed “War on Drugs” and legalize recreational marijuana while giving back to those communities who were heavily affected.
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