Support for cannabis legalization has been rising steadily for more than two decades. Today, nearly two-thirds of Americans support legalizing adult-use cannabis — and nearly nine in ten support medical access. In every single state, more people support reform than oppose it. The question is no longer whether the public is ready. It's whether Congress is.
Gallup has tracked public opinion on cannabis legalization since 1969. Support has climbed from 12% to 70% — one of the largest sustained shifts in public opinion on any policy issue in the history of American polling.
When Gallup first asked Americans whether marijuana should be legal in 1969, only 12% said yes. That number barely moved for decades — it was still just 25% in 1995. Then, beginning in the early 2000s, support began climbing steadily and has not meaningfully reversed in over 20 years, reaching a peak of 70% in 2023.
The 2024 Gallup reading of 70% represents a historic high, with Democratic (85%) and Independent (66%) support at or near record levels. Republican support has fluctuated in recent years, though a majority of Republicans in most polls continue to support at minimum medical cannabis access. Republican support has fluctuated in recent years, though a majority of Republicans in most polls continue to support at minimum medical cannabis access.
Notably, no age group opposes legalization. Even among Americans 55 and older — historically the most skeptical cohort — a majority now supports legalization.
While overall support for adult-use legalization registers in the mid-60s, support for medical cannabis access is a different proposition altogether. It commands near-universal agreement across party, age, and geography — making it one of the most broadly supported policy positions in American public life.
In states where adult-use legalization has never been on the ballot, support for medical cannabis regularly polls above 70–80%. Even in states without legal medical programs, polling consistently shows strong majority support for physician-authorized medical cannabis.
Support for allowing medical cannabis is nearly universal — on par with the percentage of Americans who believe the earth is round and that NASA astronauts landed on the moon.Marijuana Policy Project, citing Quinnipiac (93%), Pew (88%), and 40-state medical legalization record
Since California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996, 40 states have followed. Nineteen of those laws were adopted directly by voters — including in deeply conservative states: Arkansas (53%, 2016), North Dakota (64%, 2016), Oklahoma (57%, 2018), Utah (53%, 2018), South Dakota (70%, 2020), and Nebraska (70%+, November 2024).
The pattern is consistent: wherever voters have been given the opportunity to decide on medical cannabis directly, they have approved it — often by wide margins, in states where broader political conditions would suggest otherwise.
The gap between public opinion and public policy on cannabis is one of the widest of any major issue in American politics. Two-thirds of Americans support legalization. Only 24 states have acted. Congress has not acted at all. The states where cannabis remains fully illegal are, almost without exception, states where the public already supports reform.
| State | Public Support (adult-use) | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 67% | Fully illegal |
| Indiana | 59% | Fully illegal |
| Georgia | 56% | Medical only (limited) |
| Pennsylvania | 56% | Medical only |
| Texas | 79% (medical) | Medical only (very limited) |
| North Carolina | 71% (medical) | Fully illegal |
| Kansas | 70% (medical) | Fully illegal |
| Idaho | 83% (medical) | Fully illegal |
In states without citizen initiative processes, cannabis reform requires legislative action — and many state legislatures are structurally insulated from majority opinion. Republican-controlled chambers in states like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kansas have blocked or failed to advance cannabis legislation despite majority public support, in some cases repeatedly over multiple sessions.
At the federal level, the gap is even more acute. Congress has not passed comprehensive cannabis legislation despite consistent two-thirds majority national support. The Senate has been the primary obstacle — though the SAFER Banking Act and federal rescheduling discussions have demonstrated that incremental federal action is possible.
When voters have been able to weigh in directly through ballot initiative processes, they have consistently approved cannabis reform — in red states, purple states, and blue states alike. Of the 24 states that have legalized adult-use cannabis, the majority did so through voter initiative, not legislative action. The electoral record is essentially unblemished: wherever the public has voted directly on cannabis, reform has won.
The public is far ahead of most elected officials on cannabis policy reform. A strong majority of Americans support making cannabis legal, yet Congress has failed to act.Marijuana Policy Project, citing Gallup, Pew, YouGov, and CNN national polling