Half of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana — Survey of the Day

According to a new Gallup poll, 50 percent of American adults favor legalizing marijuana, the highest percentage in Gallup’s 42-year history of asking that question. Forty-six percent of Americans believe marijuana should remain illegal.

In 1969, only 12 percent of Americans thought pot should be legal. That jumped threefold to 36 percent in 2006.

Not surprisingly, young people are most tolerant of marijuana: 62 percent of people in the 18-29-year-old are for legalization, whereas only 31 percent of those in the 65 and over category favor it.

The poll also found that Democrats (57 percent) were more likely to be pro-pot legalization than Republicans (35 percent), and men (55 percent) more likely than women (46 percent).

[Gallup]