A new Gallup poll is showing that 66% of Americans now favor legalizing marijuana. It’s the highest that the number has been since the organization began asking about cannabis in 1969 when only 12% of those surveyed believed it should be legal.
The new figure marks the third year in a row that support has grown to a record high. In October 2017, public support was at 64%, and at 60% in 2016.
According to Gallup, support for cannabis has also grown significantly among Americans over the age of 55, jumping from 50% to 59% over the past year.
The poll data shows that 65% of adults aged 35 to 54 approve of legalizing cannabis, but the 18 to 34 age group has the highest support for legal marijuana at 78%.
Support for legal cannabis keeps growing
Results in the Gallup report are based on random telephone surveys that they conducted October 1-10, 2018 with 1,019 adults over the age of eighteen in all fifty states.
Research released by the Pew Research Center in October 2018 showed that 62% of Americans believe that marijuana should be legal in the United States, up from a 2017 report that showed support at 61%.
According to Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, the White House will be addressing cannabis reform at the federal level sometime after the midterm elections in November.
