Nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical purposes, a new Pew Research Center poll finds. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair.
The report, released on Tuesday, found that 88 percent of Americans back legalization in some form, including a 57 percent majority who say it should be accessible for medical and adult use. Just 11 percent said cannabis should be prohibited altogether.
There were several common themes in terms of demographic breakdowns. Democrats were more likely to support complete legalization (72 percent), compared to 42 percent of Republicans. However, 82 percent of Republicans and 94 percent of Democrats back legalization for at least medical purposes.
“There continue to be ideological differences within each party,” the research firm said, noting that moderate- and liberal-leaning GOP identifiers are significantly more likely to support complete legalization (57 percent), versus conservative Republicans (34 percent).
Pew also asked respondents about their views on the societal impacts of recreational legalization, and the results showed that a majority (52 percent) feels the reform is “good” for local economies. A 42 percent plurality additionally agreed that legalization would make the criminal justice
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
