Half of Americans Favor Legalization of Marijuana, Poll Finds

Half of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, up from 46 percent last year, according to a new Gallup poll.

Among adults under age 30 and those who identified themselves as liberal, support of legalization was more than 60 percent, according to Reuters. In contrast, 31 percent of Americans over age 65 said they support legalization of marijuana.

According to a Gallup news release, the first Gallup poll that asked about Americans’ opinion on the topic, in 1969, found 12 percent of Americans favored legalizing marijuana. Support for legalization passed 30 percent in 2000, and 40 percent in 2009.

The poll found 55 percent of men and 46 percent of women in the new poll backed legalization. People in the South were less likely than those living in the West, Midwest and East to support such a move.