Number of Americans Supporting Legal Pot Shoots Higher

In 1979, a similar poll by CBS News found just 27 percent saying marijuana should be legal. Medical marijuana was not subjected to the 10 percent special sales or 15 percent excise tax. Only seven percent of Americans thought marijuana was more harmful, while 28 percent said both were equally harmful.

Eight states and the District of Columbia have fully legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and marijuana is legal for limited medical use in a majority of states. Initiative 502, which passed with 56 percent of the vote, also directed the state to license, regulate and tax recreational marijuana, and set up some of the ways that tax money can be spent by the state.

Today marks “420 Day”, the high holiday of cannabis culture, with smokers celebrating across the United States and even giving out free joints to members of Congress.

The group responsible for safety in the oil-and-gas industry is reiterating its concerns about the impact of legal marijuana in Canada.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asserted a connection between marijuana and violent crime, but few Americans see it that way: just 23 percent think legalizing pot increases violent crime, while almost as many think legal marijuana decreases it.

The department did not say how much the proposed system would cost – only that it intends to offset such costs through licensing and other fees.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the poll found that Americans under age 65 support weed legalization, while those over age 65 are the most likely to stand in opposition.

About two-thirds, of 65 percent, of respondents further said they believe marijuana is less unsafe than most other drugs and 53 percent said they believe alcohol is more harmful to a person’s health than pot.

Sixty percent of voters were in favor of making marijuana use legal and 34 percent were opposed, the Hamden-based university said Thursday. A majority first backed legalization in 2014.

The growing acceptance of legal marijuana comes as states continue to challenge the federal government’s insistence that marijuana is a risky drug with no therapeutic value and a high potential for abuse. Among active marijuana users, 40 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 32 percent as Republicans and 24 percent independents.