A new Gallup poll released on Wednesday says 60 percent of Americans support legal marijuana, which is now a record high in the poll’s 47-year history.
The poll comes just a few weeks before voters from nine states will determine whether or not access to legal marijuana will be expanded upon, The Associated Press reported.
The Gallup poll reflects a series of telephone interviews conducted earlier this monthin which more than 1,000 adults from 50 states and Washington, D.C. were asked about the legalization of pot.
Tom Angell, chairman of the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority, said the recent poll implies that voters could be leaning towards legalization.
“It’s more clear than ever that legalization is the future. More politicians – presidential candidates included – would do themselves a big favor to take note of the clear trend and then vocally support legislation catering to the growing majority of Americans who support modernizing failed marijuana policies,” he said in an email, according to Marijuana Industry News.
That 60 percent figure was as low as 12 percent when Gallop first conducted the poll in its 1969 issue. Support for legalization has continued to increase ever since, rising to 31 percent in 2000 and then 58 percent just last year, the AP noted.
According to the new findings, 67 percent of Democrats support marijuana’s legalization while 42 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of independents back it, the AP noted.
“The topline number obviously bodes well for the marijuana measures on state ballots next month. But what gives me even more hope are the demographic breakdowns showing just how strongly young people support ending prohibition,” Angell said.
Recreational use of marijuana is currently legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State and the District of Columbia, and depending on how the votes go, Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada could be added to that list, AP noted.