A CBS News poll conducted over the weekend has found that 41% of Americans support marijuana legalization, while 52% oppose, and 7% are undecided. The figure matches that of a January CBS News poll. Support dropped to 31% in an April CBS News poll before rebounding this month.
The figure is in line with other recent public opinion polls on the topic. A February Rasmussen Reports poll had support for legalization at 40%, a February Zogby poll had support for legalization at 44%, and an April ABC News/Washington Post poll found 46% supported "legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use." The high-end outlier is an April Zogby poll with 52% saying marijuana should be "legal, taxed, and regulated."
In the latest CBS News poll, there was bare majority support for legalization among people under 35 (52%) and liberals (55%), the only regional, demographic, or political groups where majorities supported legalization. Support was higher among men (44%) than women (39%) and higher in the West (46%), Northeast (44%), and the Midwest (43%) than in the South (35%).
The latest CBS News poll was conducted among a random sample of 944 adults nationwide via telephone interviews. The margin of error for the entire sample is plus or minus three percentage points.
The polling comes as attention is focused on marijuana legalization like never before. But it suggests that despite decades of effort, the marijuana reform movement is not quite to the Promised Land yet.
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Comments
Legalizing marijuana
I have been a emergency room nurse for roughly 15 years. Never in my career have I seen a death caused by someone who had smoked marijuana. But I can't even remember the number of people who have been killed or seriously injured due to someone drinking and driving. I myself smoked marijuana during my early 20's. The old myth that marijuana leads to harder drugs is unfounded. I occasionally will smoke a little when I am on vacation (1-2 times a year) but am fearful to do it very often because of my job & the potential to loose my nursing license, but believe me if it was legal I would smoke it some. I have severe arthritis and have a friend who also has severe arthritis and he swears that smoking a marijuana joint once a week has helped his joint pain and stiffness to the point he doesn't have to take prescription medications for it. I am your typical middle class American. I work every day, own my own home and pay my bills. If I am responsible enought to take care of myself and not depend on handouts from the government then I should be allowed to make my own decisions regarding the recreational use of marijuana without fear of legal actions.
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