Public Supports Medical Marijuana, but Not Full Legalization of Pot

By Erin Sherbert Fri., Nov. 18 2011 at 5:07 PM

Categories: Marijuana

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growing ... support for the drug

Just as local pot clubs have been closing their doors due to a federal crackdown, a new poll was released showing that a growing number of people actually support medical marijuana. According to a CBS news poll conducted at the end of October, 77 percent of respondents said they think marijuana should be legal, but only to help relieve medical conditions.

However, a majority of people are opposed to outright legalizing pot, with 51 percent of those surveyed said they think marijuana should be illegal, a number that's stayed relatively the same over the last few years, according to the poll. Still, three out of 10 people surveyed believe that pot being transported into the country under government-authorized medical marijuana programs is being used for reasons other than alleviating medical conditions as prescribed.

Other interesting tidbits from the poll:

About 54 percent of women oppose legalizing marijuana, while 46 percent of men favor legalizing it.
Support for legalizing marijuana is strongest in the west, where 10 of the 16 states have some form of legalized medical marijuana use. About 48 percent of Americans on the West Coast think marijuana use should be legal, compared to 45 percent who say it should be illegal.
Seven in 10 Republicans oppose legalizing marijuana. Two in three liberals want to legalize pot while two in three conservatives believe it should not be legal; moderates are divided.
About 52 percent of those under 30 years old favor legalizing pot, while Americans between the ages of 30 and 44 are divided. No surprise that older Americans tend to oppose legalizing marijuana, particularly those 65 and older, comprising 62 percent.

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