Nearly 90% of Americans believe cannabis should be legal for either medical or adult use, according to a Pew Research Center poll released on Tuesday. The poll found 57% support for both medical and adult use and 32% support for only medical use (88% net legal), with just 11% opposed to legalization of any kind.
The poll found 52% of respondents said adult-use legalization is “good” for local economies, with 29% saying it had “no impact” and 17% saying it is “bad.” Forty-two percent said it makes the criminal justice system “more fair,” with 38% believing it would have “no impact,” and 18% saying it would make it “less fair.”
The majority of respondents (42%) polled rejected the gateway theory – that cannabis legalization leads to the use of hard drugs such as heroin and fentanyl – with 29% saying it would increase the use of hard drugs and 27% saying it would have the opposite effect. Another majority (44%) said cannabis legalization would have “no impact” on the overall safety of communities while 21% said the reforms would make communities “more safe,” and 34% said it would make them “less safe.”
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