A recent marijuana poll by Gallup shows that nearly 60 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing pot — a stark contrast to the first time the consulting company posed the question in 1969.
As the issue becomes more and more politicized, it seems Americans are becoming more and more tolerant.
According to the recent Gallup poll published Tuesday, 58 percent of people support making marijuana legal, up from 50 percent just two years ago.
In 1969, only 12 percent of Americans approved of it.
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"Public support for legalization more than doubled in the 1970s, growing to 28 percent," Gallup said in a statement. "It then plateaued during the 1980s and 1990s before inching steadily higher since 2000, reaching 50 percent in 2011."
The recent spike is likely fueled by the 2012 legalization of pot for recreational adult use in Washington state and Colorado.
"Success at the ballot box in the past year in Colorado and Washington may have increased Americans’ tolerance for marijuana legalization," Gallup said. "Support for legalization has jumped 10 percentage points since last November and the legal momentum shows no sign of abating."
The poll included responses from 1,058 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Support for legalizing marijuana was highest among Americans aged 18-29 years at 67 percent. The only group that opposed decriminalizing pot were those age 65 and over at 53 percent, according to the poll.
Support was stronger among Democrats, who favored recreational marijuana use over Republicans 65-35 percent.
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