A new poll reveals that a high majority of American voters support the legalization of marijuana in the United States.
The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,193 voters nationwide, conducted from April 20-24, reveals:
- Voters support, 63 percent to 33 percent, legalizing marijuana in the U.S., the highest level of support ever measured in a Quinnipiac poll. The previous high was 61 percent to 33 percent in August 2017.
- Support for use of medical marijuana is 93 percent to 5 percent, similar to prior polls.
- There is a wide gender gap as 43 percent of American voters say they have used recreational marijuana, including 54 percent of men and 33 percent of women.
- Voters oppose 70 percent to 23 percent the enforcement of federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana.
- In fact, voters support 74 percent to 20 percent a bill protecting states with legal medical or recreational marijuana from federal prosecution.
- Increased revenue from taxes on recreational marijuana is a good reason to legalize marijuana, voters say 54 percent to 42 percent.
- Voters say 61 percent to 31 percent that marijuana is not a "gateway drug" to narcotics.
"Voters are more favorable to legalizing marijuana than in any previous Quinnipiac University survey, and do not see its use as a gateway to more serious drugs," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts nationwide public opinion surveys, and statewide polls in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and Texas as a public service and for research.