Over six in ten Americans believe that it is morally permissible for adults to use cannabis, regardless of the plant’s legal status, according to nationwide polling data compiled by Gallup.
Pollsters reported that 65 percent of respondents personally believe that “smoking marijuana” is morally acceptable. Thirty-one percent defined the behavior as “morally wrong.”
The Gallup data represents a significant shift in Americans’ attitudes. According to prior data compiled by the Pew Research Center, only ten percent of Americans in 2006 agreed that cannabis use was morally acceptable.
Survey data compiled by Gallup in 2017 reported that 64 percent of Americans – including majorities of self-identified Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – believe that the adult use of marijuana should be legal, the highest percentage ever recorded by the polling firm.
