A solid majority of the American public now agree with NORML that responsible marijuana smokers should not be treated like criminals. Eight out of ten Americans support the medical use of marijuana, and nearly 3 out of 4 Americans support a fine-only (no jail) for recreational smokers. Over 60% of Americans now favor legalizing marijuana, according to the most recent Gallup poll — the highest percentage support ever reported in a nationwide scientific poll. Our challenge now is to convert this public support into public policy. Search and sort our polling archive below:
- All
- National Polls
- State Polls
- Medical Marijuana Surveys
National Polls
YouGov.com Poll (May 2022) Seventy percent of Americans believe that cannabis should either be legalized nationally or left up to each individual state. Only 17 percent support maintaining the current federal ban on marijuana.
SSRS national poll (April 2022) Sixty-nine percent of respondents – including 78 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Independents, and 54 percent of Republicans — "support legalizing marijuana for recreational use."
CBS/YouGov Poll (April 2022) Sixty-six percent of Americans say that “recreational marijuana use” should be legal in their home state as well as under federal law.
CPEAR.org Poll (February 2022) Seventy percent of voters — including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — support federal reforms that will end the federal prohibition of cannabis for adult-use.
YouGov Poll (November 2021) Fifty-seven percent of US adults, including majorities of those in every age demographic, think that “the recreational use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States."
Rasmussen Poll (October 2021) Sixty-two percent of US adults — including majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans — favor the national legalization of marijuana
Gallup Poll (October 2021) Sixty-eight percent of Americans, including majorities of all major subgroups by gender, age, income and education, believe that the use of "marijuana should be made legal.”
State Polls
Texas: Dallas Morning News (May 2022) Sixty percent of Texas voters support “the legalization of marijuana for recreational use."
New Jersey: Stockton University poll (April 2022) Fifty-eight percent of New Jersey voters support adult-use marijuana legalization. Only seven percent of voters believe that marijuana should not be legal for either medical or adult use.
Louisiana: University of New Orleans poll (April 2022) Fifty-eight percent of registered voters favor legalizing the “recreational use of marijuana."
North Carolina: Survey USA Poll (April 2022) Fifty-seven percent of voters believe that the adult-use of marijuana should be legalized.
Iowa: Des Moines Register/MediaCom (March 2021) Fifty-four percent of adults say they favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
Maryland: ACLU/Bully Pulpit Interactive poll (March 2022) Among registered Maryland voters, 70 percent support the legalization of adult-use cannabis.
Maryland: Goucher College Poll (March 2022) 62 percent of Marylanders, including 65 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of independents, and 54 percent of Republicans, support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Medical Marijuana Surveys
South Carolina: Benchmark Research poll (April 2022) Seventy-six of GOP primary voters support “allowing patients who suffer from an approved list of conditions to have access to medical marijuana if approved by their doctor."
North Carolina: WGHP/The Hill/Emerson College poll (April 2022) Sixty-eight percent of voters believe that marijuana should “be legal for medical purposes.”
Mississippi: Millsaps College Survey (June 2021) Sixty-three percent of Mississippi voters favor amending the state’s constitution to legalize medical marijuana access to those with a doctor’s recommendation.
South Carolina: Starboard Communications Poll (February 2021) Seventy-two percent of South Carolinians support "allowing patients in South Carolina who suffer from serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it"