• Nationwide Public Opinion Polls
• Statewide Public Opinion Polls

Nationwide Public Opinion Polls

72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "Adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it."
POLL: AARP
DATE: November 2004
Sample Size: 1,706

80 percent of respondents supported allowing adults to "legally use marijuana for medical purposes."
POLL: Time Magazine/CNN Poll
DATE: October 2002
Sample Size: 1,007

70 percent of respondents answered affirmatively to the question, "Should the use of medical marijuana be allowed?"
POLL: Center for Substance Abuse Research
DATE: January 2002
Sample Size: N/A

73 percent of respondents supported allowing doctors "to prescribe marijuana."
POLL: Pew Research Center Poll
DATE: March 2001
Sample Size: 1,513

73 percent of respondents said they "would vote for making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe."
POLL: Gallup
DATE: March 1999
Sample size: 1,018

60 percent of respondents supported allowing physicians to prescribe medical marijuana.
POLL: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
DATE: March 1998
Sample size: N/A

62 percent of respondents favored legalizing marijuana "strictly for medical use."
POLL: Luntz Research Poll
DATE: September 1997
Sample size: 1,444

66 percent of Independent voters said "doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering serious illnesses."
64 percent of Democrat voters said "doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering serious illnesses."
57 percent of Republican voters said "doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering serious illnesses."
POLL: CBS News telephone poll
DATE: June 1997
Sample size: N/A

74 percent of respondents agreed "people who find that marijuana is effective for their medical condition should be able to use it legally."
POLL: Family Research Council
DATE: June 1997
Sample size: 1,000

69 percent of respondents favored "legalizing [the] medical use of marijuana."
POLL: ABC News/Discovery News Poll
DATE: May 1997
Sample size: 517

68 percent of respondents said the federal government should not punish doctors who prescribe marijuana. 60 percent of respondents said doctors should "be able to prescribe marijuana."
POLL: Lake Research Poll
DATE: February 1997
Sample size: 1,002

85 percent of respondents favored "making marijuana legally available for medical uses where it has been proven effective for treating a problem."
POLL: ACLU Topline Poll
DATE: November 1995
Sample size: 1,001

Statewide Public Opinion Polls

Alabama
75 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Mobile Register-University of South Alabama
DATE: July 2004
Sample size: 417

Alaska
74 percent of respondents said that they supported existing Alaska state law legalizing the medical use of marijuana under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Arizona
72 percent of respondents said that they would support a change in state law that would "remove the threat of arrest and all other penalties for seriously ill patients who use and grow their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Arkansas
62 percent of respondents supported allowing people with "cancer and other debilitating medical conditions to register in a state-regulated program permitting them to grow and use a limited amount of marijuana for medical purposes."
POLL: Zogby International
DATE: November 2002
Sample Size: 600

63 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: UA Survey Research Center
DATE: October 2001
Sample size: 767

California
74 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use
under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: California Field Poll
DATE: January 2004
Sample size: 500

59 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: California Field Poll
DATE: October 1996
Sample size: 824

95 percent of respondents had heard "about marijuana being used for medical purposes." 62 percent of respondents said they approved of the California Medical Marijuana Initiative.
POLL: California Voter Poll
DATE: October 1996
Sample size: 800

58 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Los Angeles Times telephone poll
DATE: October 1996
Sample size: N/A

62 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: California Field Poll
DATE: October 1996
Sample size: 505

65.5 percent of respondents said they favored ending "the prohibition of marijuana for personal medical use."
POLL: Binder Research Poll
DATE: March 1995
Sample size: 750

Colorado
77 percent of respondents said that they supported existing Colorado state law legalizing the medical use of marijuana under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

67 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Denver Post/9 News/KOA Radio
DATE: October 2000
Sample size: not available

71 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Denver Rocky Mountain News/News 4
DATE: September 2000
Sample size: N/A

Connecticut
83 percent of respondents said they "think adults should be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor prescribes it."
POLL: University of Connecticut Center for Survey and Research Analysis
DATE: June 2004
Sample Size: 501

73 percent of respondents said they favored "changing the law to allow people with cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses to use and grow their own marijuana for medical purposes, if they have the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: March 2002
Sample Size: N/A

Florida
63 percent of respondents favored approving an amendment to the Florida Constitution legalizing "medicinal" marijuana.
POLL: Florida Voter Poll
DATE: September 1997
Sample size: 400

Hawaii
77 percent of respondents favored "the Hawaii State Legislature passing a law in Hawaii to allow seriously ill or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes if supported by their medical doctor."
POLL: Qmark Research Poll
DATE: February 2000
Sample size: 703

63 percent of respondents said they supported "the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes."
POLL: Hawaii Voter Poll
DATE: October 1998
Sample size: 400

Illinois
90 percent of respondents said the federal government should approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
POLL: Morningline telephone poll
DATE: March 1999
Sample size: N/A

67 percent of respondents agreed "doctors should be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical use."
POLL: Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Ill. University
DATE: April 1998
Sample size: 850

Maine
61 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Bangor Daily News/WCSH 6
DATE: October 1999
Sample size: 500

Maryland
37 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs allowing patients to use medical marijuana, versus only 18 percent who said they'd be less likely to support such a candidate.
POLL: Gonzales/Arscott Research telephone poll
DATE: January 2002
Sample size: 833

73 percent of respondents agreed "physicians should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients."
POLL: Center for Substance Abuse Research
DATE: January 2000
Sample size: 1,000

Minnesota
64 percent of respondents favored "protecting patients who use medical marijuana from civil or criminal penalties."
POLL: Mason-Dixon Research Poll
DATE: March 1999
Sample size: 800

64 percent of respondents favored "protecting patients who use medical marijuana from civil or criminal penalties."
POLL: Mason-Dixon Research Poll
DATE: March 1999
Sample size: 800

Montana
66 percent of respondents said that they would support a change in state law that would "remove the threat of arrest and all other penalties for seriously ill patients who use and grow their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Nebraska
64 percent of respondents said that they would support a change in state law that would "remove the threat of arrest and all other penalties for seriously ill patients who use and grow their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Nevada
79 percent of respondents said that they supported existing Nevada state law legalizing the medical use of marijuana under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

63 percent of respondents supported legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Mason-Dixon Research Poll
DATE: September 2000
Sample size: 627

New Hampshire
84 percent of respondents supported amending federal law "so that people with cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses can use medical marijuana legally with the approval of a physician."
POLL: Zogby International
DATE: August 2003
Sample size: N/A

New Mexico
75 percent of respondents either strongly supported or somewhat supported the use of medical marijuana for seriously ill patients.
POLL: Research Polling Inc.
DATE: March 2001
Sample Size: N/A

New York
80 percent of respondents supported allowing physicians "to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes to seriously and terminally ill patients, and to alleviate symptoms of diseases and the side effects associated with treatments."
POLL: Zogby International
DATE: April 1999
Sample size: 700

85 percent of respondents supported "permitting doctors to prescribe marijuana."
POLL: The New Yorker Magazine
DATE: January 1998
Sample size: 1,400

North Dakota
63 percent of respondents said that they would support a change in state law that would "remove the threat of arrest and all other penalties for seriously ill patients who use and grow their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Oregon
77 percent of respondents said that they supported existing Oregon state law legalizing the medical use of marijuana under a doctor's supervision.
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A

Rhode Island
69 percent of respondents supported allowing seriously ill patients "to use and grow their own marijuana for medical purposes, so long as their physician approves."
POLL: Zogby International
DATE: March 2004
Sample size: 501

South Dakota
81 percent of respondents favored "a change in South Dakota law so that seriously ill people, with a doctor's approval, can use medical marijuana legally."
POLL: Creative Broadcast Systems
DATE: January 2001
Sample size: N/A

Texas
75 percent of respondents said "people with cancer and other serious illnesses should be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes as long as their doctor approves."
POLL: Scripps Howard
DATE: October 2004
Sample size: 900

Vermont
71 percent of respondents supported allowing seriously ill patients "to use and grow their own marijuana for medical purposes, so long as their physician approves."
POLL: Zogby International
DATE: March 2004
Sample size: 502

76 percent of respondents "support changing the law to allow people with cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses to use and grow their own marijuana for medical purposes, if they have approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample Size: N/A

Virginia
75 percent of respondents agreed "doctors should be legally allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical use when it reduces pain from cancer treatment or for other illnesses."
POLL: Quality of Life in Virginia Survey
DATE: June 2001
Sample size: N/A

Wisconsin
70 percent of respondents supported "allowing seriously ill or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes if supported by their physician."
POLL: Scott Rasmussen Public Opinion Poll
DATE: October 2002
Sample size: 1000

80 percent of respondents supported the Wisconsin state legislature "passing a law to allow seriously ill or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes if supported by their physician."
POLL: Chamberlain Research
DATE: February 2002
Sample Size: 600

Wyoming
66 percent of respondents said that they would support a change in state law that would "remove the threat of arrest and all other penalties for seriously ill patients who use and grow their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."
POLL: Lucas Organization
DATE: February 2002
Sample size: N/A