A recent poll has shown that American people support the legalization of marijuana with a higher percentage than ever. There is a five-point increase from 2016, and both the medical and the recreational use seem to scare people less.
At the same time, most of the respondents believe that marijuana is less dangerous than other drugs, and that addiction to it should rather be treated as a health issue than as a criminal offense.
Recent Poll Shows Marijuana Is Not Considered Dangerous
Marijuana is still federally classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the United States, considered as dangerous as heroin.
A recent poll conducted by CBS showed that people support the legalization of marijuana, as 61 percent of the respondents believe the drug should be legal for recreational use. At the same time, 88 percent of the respondents agreed with the legalization for medical use.
The poll also showed that 71 percent of the subjects oppose the government's efforts to put an end to marijuana sales and use in the states where it is currently legal. The opposition was expressed among Democrats, Republicans and independents.
According to the poll's results, 65 percent of the respondents believe that marijuana is less dangerous than most of the drugs, and only 23 percent showed concern that its legalization could lead to an increase in violent crimes.
Concerning the generic idea of drug abuse, 69 percent of the respondents believe that it should be treated as a health problem instead of being classified as criminal offense.
People over the age of 65 are most opposed to the legalization. At the same time, most of the respondents under this age, regardless of gender, support it. Previous studies showed that women were more reluctant than men when it came to this issue. However, according to this poll, the gender differences are now statistically irrelevant.
American Adults Support The Legalization Of Marijuana
Another poll, published by researchers from Quinnipiac University, shows consistent results with the one conducted by CBS. According to this poll, 60 percent of Americans agree with the legalization of marijuana, while an overwhelming 94 percent believe that the drug should be legal for medical use.
The poll also suggests that 73 percent of the respondents oppose the enforcement of federal laws against the drug in states where it's legal either for medical or recreational purposes.
"From a stigmatized, dangerous drug bought in the shadows, to an accepted treatment for various ills, to a widely accepted recreational outlet, marijuana has made it to the mainstream," noted Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
At the moment, marijuana is legal in 29 states for medical use. Eight states and the District of Columbia have also legalized recreational use.
Another recent poll has shown that 52 percent of American adults have tried marijuana at least once. At the same time, approximately 56 percent of the adult respondents find the drug socially acceptable.
However, most of the respondents believe that their parents will not be happy to hear about their experience.
"Of note, 33% of marijuana users believe parents have not spoken to their children about marijuana because they do not want to encourage its use," noted the researchers at the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
