Cannabis reform in the United States has not always been popular, but that has changed in the last two decades.
Support for cannabis reform has been consistently rising since the mid-1990s according to Gallup’s annual cannabis legalization poll.
Every year since 1969 United States voters have been asked ‘do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal or not.’ In 1969 only 12% answered ‘yes.’
The poll has been conducted annually ever since and the most recent poll found an all-time high level of support for legalization.
Record-High Support for Legalizing Cannabis in U.S.
From October 5, 2017 thru October 11, 2017 Gallup asked American voters the same question it had for nearly 50 years.
The annual poll found a whopping 64% support for adult-use cannabis legalization, which is truly inspiring.
Something that was particularly noteworthy about the poll results is that a majority of self-identified Republicans supported legalization for the first time in the poll’s history.
Keep in mind that 2013 was the first year that the poll found majority support for legalization. In 2009 support was just 44%.
The cannabis movement has made extraordinary progress since California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medical use in 1996.
Support for medical cannabis legalization is even greater than for adult-use
In April 2018, Quinnipiac University surveyed United States voters and asked them, among other things, whether or not they supported medical cannabis legalization.
An astounding 93% of poll participants stated that they support medical cannabis legalization. Only 5% of poll participants answered no, with 2% being undecided.
You will be hardpressed to find any political issue that has as strong a level of support as for medical cannabis reform in the U.S.
In an era that is experiencing an extremely polarizing political environment medical cannabis reform is one public policy that almost every voter is on board with, which is worth celebrating.
Positive polling results show that cannabis reform is working
An increase in favorable cannabis polling has been paralleled by an increase in states that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or adult use.
Support for cannabis reform was stagnant from 1969 to the mid-1990s but started to creep upward after the first state legalized cannabis for medical use in 1996.
When United States voters saw that states on the West Coast were successful at implementing medical cannabis reform, they wanted to see the same occur in their states in increasing numbers.
The same was true for adult-use legalization. Support for adult-use legalization shot up from 2012 to 2013 because voters saw Colorado and Washington State legalize and the sky remained intact.
As more states legalize cannabis for adult-use and successfully implement reform the Green Flower team expects polls to continue to rise until the plant is finally freed and prohibition ends nationwide!
