On Thursday, the Pew Research Center found that, for the first time in 40 years of polling, the majority of Americans support marijuana legalization. According to a national survey, 52 percent of American adults support pot legalization, up 11 points from 2010, while 45 percent are against it. A full 65 percent of young Americans between the ages of 18 and 32, along with 50 percent of boomers, are pro-legalization, Pew said. Only 38 percent of poll respondents agreed that marijuana is a “gateway” to harder drugs, and less than a third find smoking pot “morally wrong.” In terms of party lines, 59 percent of Democrats support legalizing pot, while only 37 percent of Republicans do.
The Silent Generation -- those born between 1925-1945 -- continues to be less supportive of marijuana legalization than younger age cohorts. But the percentage of Silents who favor legalization has nearly doubled –from 17% to 32% – since 2002.
According to the survey, an increasing percentage of Americans say they have tried marijuana. Overall, 48% say they have ever tried marijuana, up from 38% a decade ago. Roughly half in all age groups, except for those 65 and older, say they have tried marijuana.
