Support for legal marijuana continues to grow in Australia, with new polling showing that nearly half of all adults now believe it should be allowed.
According to survey data released by Roy Morgan, 48% of Australians now support legalizing marijuana—up 15% over the past decade, from 33% in 2015 and 42% in 2019. Opposition has dropped to 41%, also down 15% since 2015. The remaining 11% say they’re undecided.
The results are based on responses from over 69,000 Australians, who were asked between April 2024 and March 2025 whether they believe the smoking of marijuana should be made legal or remain illegal.
Support is strongest among men, with 51% in favor and 40% opposed, while women are more evenly split at 45% in favor and 42% opposed. A clear generational divide is also evident. Every age group between 18 and 49 now shows majority support for legalization. Among 18–24-year-olds, support has risen from 36% in 2015 to 54% in the latest survey—a gain of 18%. The 25–34 age bracket saw the largest increase, climbing 24% over the same period to reach 58% support. Among those aged 35–49, 51% now say marijuana should be legal.
Support remains lower among older Australians, but even there, views are shifting. In 2015, a clear majority of Australians opposed legalization. A decade later, the national conversation appears to have decisively turned.
Analysis of these subgroups over time shows support among 50–64-year-olds has risen 19% to 48%, while opposition in this age group has fallen 18% since 2019. Among those 65 and over, support has edged up slightly—from 33% in 2019 to 36% in 2025—yet this group continues to record the highest opposition at 54%.
Support for legalisation of marijuana is highest in the ACT and NT
Analysis shows support for the legalisation of marijuana now varies clearly by region, with both Australian territories in favour. The N.T leads with 57% in favour (35% opposed), closely followed by the ACT (which decriminalised personal possession and cultivation on 31 January 2020) at 56% in favour (36% opposed).
Tasmania shows strong backing at 52% (36% opposed), and Queensland records majority support at 51% (39% opposed). It’s worth noting that these are the only two states where the regional population is larger than the urban population.
Western Australia is nearing a majority in favour at 49% (39% opposed), while South Australia (47% support, 41% opposed), New South Wales (47% support, 42% opposed) and Victoria (46% support, 43% opposed) sit slightly below the national average.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says “Australia’s debate on marijuana legalisation continues to evolve. With nearly half of Australians now in favour, the national mood has shifted significantly over the past decade. While younger adults lead the charge for change, notable opposition remains, especially among older and teenage groups. International trends (including further US state legalisations) and local policy discussions, such as the ACT’s earlier reforms, continue to influence public attitudes. These results highlight how attitudes are diversifying across age cohorts as Australia considers its next steps.”
