A new nationwide poll from the Manhattan Institute reveals that most Americans favor legalizing marijuana for personal use, with 73% of respondents supporting some form of legalization.
The poll sampled 2,304 respondents, with a balanced political demographic: 41% identified as conservative, 30% as moderate, and 29% as liberal. It found that 69% of respondents believe adults should be able to consume marijuana recreationally in their own homes, while 62% support legal possession of recreational marijuana. 57% agree that adults should be able to consume cannabis without government interference, provided their behavior does not endanger others.
Public opinion diverges when it comes to marijuana sales and public use. Support for the commercial sale of marijuana stands at 43%, with 39% opposed. Public consumption bans received overwhelming backing: 82% support prohibiting marijuana use on buses, trains, or within 30 yards of schools. Similar majorities oppose smoking marijuana in restaurants and bars (74%), public parks (56%), or while driving (82%).
The survey also shed light on the most common concerns related to legalization. 29% of respondents are extremely worried about increased marijuana use among children, while 25% expressed the same level of concern about a potential rise in car crashes.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano commented on the findings, stating, “At a time when voters and politicians are largely divided, there is one issue that Americans largely agree upon: It’s time to legalize and regulate marijuana.”
Despite differences in opinions on sales and public use, only 12% of Americans believe marijuana should remain illegal under all circumstances. These results align with earlier findings, including a March 2024 Pew survey that reported only 10% of U.S. adults favor a blanket ban on marijuana.
For the survey, an online sample of 2,304 respondents “fielded over web panels and text to web from December 04 to December 07 and weighted to education, age, gender, race, and 2024 election results. The margin of error is +/- 2.9.”
