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The legalization of marijuana in the United States is a benefit for society because it has led to many changes where the positives outweigh the negatives. Specifically, the legalization of marijuana leads to benefits such as decrease in crime, decrease in the negative perception of drugs, and promotion of economic wealth.

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Abstract

First-pass evidence is provided that the legalization of the cannabis market across US states is inducing a crime drop. We exploit the staggered legalization of recreational marijuana enacted by the adjacent states of Washington (end of 2012) and Oregon (end of 2014). Combining county-level difference-in-differences and spatial regression discontinuity designs, we find that the policy caused a significant reduction in rapes and property crimes on the Washington side of the border in 2013-2014 relative to the Oregon side and relative to the pre-legalization years 2010-2012. The legalization also increased consumption of marijuana and reduced consumption of other drugs and both ordinary and binge alcohol. Four possible mechanisms are discussed: the direct psychotropic effects of cannabis; substitution away from violence-inducing substances; reallocation of police effort; reduced role of criminals in the marijuana business.

Introduction

The full legalization of the American cannabis market (production, sale, and consumption) began in 2012 in the states of Colorado and Washington, where the first recreational marijuana laws were passed. By the end of 2017, recreational cannabis is legal in 9 US states (and DC), comprising 22% of the US population, and more states are likely to follow soon. ¹

This legalization wave is raising concerns about the crime impact of a permissive drug policy. For instance, in October 2016, shortly before voters in California cast their ballot on Proposition 64 (a voter initiative to legalize recreational cannabis), the Denver District Attorney wrote a letter warning Californian voters that since the legalization of recreational marijuana crime surged in Denver and Colorado at large. Not everyone shares this concern. Among economists, Gary Becker was a strong advocate of the legalization of drugs in general (Becker and Murphy, 2013), and in particular of marijuana in the wake of the first wave of legalization of recreational cannabis in the US (Becker, 2014). Becker and Murphy (2013) claimed that the largest costs of a prohibitionist approach to buying and selling drugs in the US are "the costs of the crime associated with drug trafficking", predicting that legalizing this market would "reduce the role of criminals in producing and selling drugs [and] improve many inner-city neighborhoods": "Just as gangsters were largely driven out of the alcohol market after the end of prohibition, violent drug gangs would be driven out of a decriminalized drug market". That is, letting the drug market emerge from illegality would make illegal activities in this market not pay, thus greatly reducing fertile ground for crime, a central theme in Becker's economic approach to crime (Becker, 1968).

To date, there is limited causal evidence supporting either side of the debate. The present paper contributes to the academic and policy discussion on this issue by providing an empirical investigation of the crime effects of legalizing recreational cannabis. In order to provide credible evidence, we exploit a quasi-experiment generated by the timing of the legalization process in the states of Washington (WA, henceforth) and Oregon (OR, henceforth). These are neighboring (hence similar, in many respects) states where voters attempted the legalization of cannabis for recreational use at the same time, in November 2012. The proposal passed in WA but was rejected in OR by a relatively small margin. Two years later, in November 2014, a new but essentially identical ballot initiative was passed in OR, aligning the regulation of recreational marijuana to the one in force in WA. This "accidental" 2-year lag allows us to combine difference-in-differences (DID, henceforth) and spatial regression discontinuity (SRD, henceforth) research designs at the county level to identify the causal impact of the policy at the WA-OR border. We find across different specifications that the legalization of recreational marijuana has not increased crime. On the contrary, it reduced rapes by between 15% and 30% (between 2 and 4 occurrences per 100,000 inhabitants), and thefts by between 10% and 20% (between 60 and 100 per 100,000 inhabitants). These empirical results support Becker and Murphy's conjectures and stand in sharp contrast with the presumption that drugs cause crime, a major argument in support of a prohibitionist approach to substance use.

At the level of analysis pursued in this paper, we cannot pin down the mechanisms operating behind these effects. One possibility is the direct psychotropic effect of consuming marijuana, effectively a sedative drug. The possible substitution away from alcohol and other drugs which make consumers more aggressive than if consuming cannabis is another candidate mechanism. Some evidence supporting these two channels is provided by a complementary analysis of the effect of the policy on substance consumption. By using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we find that the legalization of recreational marijuana in WA induced an increase in the consumption of cannabis of about 2.5 percentage points (off a base level of about 10%), a decrease in the consumption of other drugs of about 0.5 points (off a base level of about 4%), and a decrease in the consumption of both ordinary alcohol and binge alcohol of about 2 points (off base levels of about 50% and 20%, respectively). A third possibility is that the police reallocates effort away from retail marijuana dealing and towards other types of offenses. Finally, moving retail cannabis deals from degraded streets to safe, legal shops most likely played a role. ²

Our findings enrich the empirical literature on the crime effects of legal cannabis, which is mostly based on the evaluation of medical marijuana laws (MML) in the US. According to a 2009 statement by the California Police Chiefs Association, "public officials and criminal justice organizations who oppose MML often cite the prospect of increased crime", but research yields mixed results. Some researchers find no significant relationship between MML and crime (Braakman, Jones, 2014, Freisthler, Ponicki, Gaidus, Gruenewald, 2016, Keppler, Freisthler, 2012, Morris, TenEyck, Barnes, Kovandzic, 2014, Shepard, Blackley, 2016). Others show that MML are associated with fewer homicides (Ingino, 2016), less violent crime in general because of reduced activity by drug-trafficking organizations (Gavrilova et al., 2017), and less property crime (Huber et al., 2016). Chu and Townsend (2017) show that although there are no significant effects at the national level, MML seem to reduce both violent and property crime within some states. In a different context, Adda et al. (2014) study an experiment that depenalized cannabis possession in a London borough, finding a reduction in crime induced by the reallocation of police effort towards nondrug offenses. Experimental designs like the latter are quite unique, which is why the estimation of a causal effect going from legalizing cannabis to crime rates remains an elusive question (Miron, 2004).

The present paper makes progress in this respect by engineering a quasi-experiment that is able to provide first-pass causal evidence on the relationship between large-scale legalization of recreational cannabis and crime rates. A few recent papers analyze the effects of both medical and recreational marijuana laws. Brinkman and Mok-Lamme (2017), using highly disaggregated data for the city of Denver and an identification based on demand-side shocks to the location of dispensaries within the city find that crime drops in neighborhoods with more dispensaries, the disruption of the illegal market being the most plausible explanation. Dills et al. (2017) use nationwide survey data collected among high school students between 1977 and 2015, thus covering all changes in US marijuana laws over the past 40 years, and they find no impact of liberalizing cannabis on youth drug use, alcohol consumption, or youth criminal behavior. Finally, two similarly recent papers analyze recreational marijuana laws with a focus on the cross-border spillovers from legal to illegal markets. Hansen et al. (2017) exploit, like we do, the WA-OR quasi-experiment, as well as data on legal marijuana transactions in WA, to estimate how demand changed on the WA side of the border when the cannabis market was legalized in OR. They find a sizable reduction in volume of 41%, and evidence that this reflects a drop in cross-border diversion (OR residents traveling to purchase marijuana in WA and bringing it back in OR) rather than in cross-border consumption (OR residents traveling to consume marijuana in WA). Hao and Cowan (2017) study in a difference-in-differences setting the effect of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado and WA on drug law enforcement in neighboring states where marijuana is illegal, finding a sharp increase in marijuana possession arrests in counties located right across the border in these states. These cross-border spillovers are important to interpret our estimates, which are produced by an identification right at the WA-OR border and which are gross of any form of noncompliance on the OR side. We will return to this point later on.

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 describes the quasi-experiment we analyze. The data are presented in Section 3 and the identification strategy in Section 4. Section 5 reports the results. Section 6 discusses mechanisms and concludes. The Appendix A contains some robustness checks.

Section snippets

The quasi-experiment

Possessing, using, selling, and cultivating marijuana is illegal under US federal law, except for restricted uses, since the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The Controlled Substance Act of 1970 classified marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols among the drugs listed in Schedule I, which have high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value. State legislations have recently become more permissive. In 1996 California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, followed by 28

Data

The main data employed in our analysis are crime statistics at the county level from the US Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) for years 2010 to 2014. The data base contains the number of offenses reported by the sheriff's office or county police department. For the reasons detailed below, these are not necessarily the county totals, but they are the only publicly available information from the UCR at the county level of disaggregation. For each reporting county and year, we have the total number of

Econometrics

Our research design combines a DID design with a SRD design at the WA-OR border. Such a combined design allows identifying the effect of the legalization policy at the WA-OR border, where treated and control counties offer a better comparison. Formally, let be the crime rate in county i and year t, and define the following binary variables: first, if county i is located in WA (treatment), and if county i is located in OR (control); second, if year t  > 2012 (post), and if

Results

Preliminary graphical evidence about the causal effect of legalizing recreational marijuana is given by Fig. 4. The figure plots nonparametric estimates (from local linear regressions) of the difference between county-level crime rates before (2010-2012) and after (2013-2014) the WA legalization, as a function of the minimum distance (measured in hundreds of kilometers) of the county centroid from the WA-OR border. In each panel of Fig. 4, the difference between the variations in crime rates at

Concluding remarks

The concern that legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes may increase crime occupies a prominent position in the public debate about drugs. Our analysis suggests that such a concern is not justified. We reach conclusions in line with what Becker and Murphy (2013) expected when advocating the full decriminalization of the drugs market, namely a crime drop: rapes dropped in WA by, approximately, between 15% and 30%, and property crimes fell by between 10% and 20%, an effect entirely driven

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Crime and the legalization of recreational marijuana

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First-pass evidence is provided that the legalization of the cannabis market across US states is inducing a crime drop. We exploit the staggered legal...

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1. Why has the decriminalization of marijuana led to a drop in crime rates? What factors contributed to the decrease in crime?

2. To what extent should marijuana be legalized? Many public places prohibit the use and distribution of marijuana, but what would happen if marijuana was allowed in these areas? Essentially, how would complete legalization affect society in places where it is completely prohibited such as schools, businesses, parks? Would things change or remain the same? What does this change have to say about the society we live in today?

3. How can the legalization of marijuana benefit the economy and what can the legalization of marijuana have on businesses?

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What does marijuana do to the human brain? 

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What does marijuana do to the human brain? 

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Marijuana provides euphoria, which is a sense of relief and makes users feel good. Marijuana affects the brain by overriding the user's nervous system.

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How has the legalization of marijuana affected crime?

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How has the legalization of marijuana affected crime?

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1. Crime has decreased dramatically due to increased use of marijuana from its legalization.

2. There are now less instances of rape, theft, murder, robbery, etc. because of legalization of marijuana.

3. These findings were concluded through quasi experiments, which compared areas where there was and wasn't legalization of marijuana.

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What is marijuana? What is the difference between recreational and medical use? 

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What is marijuana? What is the difference between recreational and medical use? 

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Marijuana is a psychoactive drug and used recreationally (for enjoyment) or medically (to relieve pain).

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More US states are regulating marijuana. See where it's legal across the country | CNN

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Marijuana may remain illegal federally, but in most states, it's accessible for adult medical or recreational use. On November 7, voters in Ohio made it the 24th state to approve legal recreational marijuana.

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What is the background of marijuana and backstory behind its legalization? 

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What is the background of marijuana and backstory behind its legalization? 

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For many years, the distribution and use of marijuana was prohibited; it was only used for medical reasons. However, in 2012, states started to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

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How is marijuana generally viewed by society? 

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How is marijuana generally viewed by society? 

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Marijuana was first seen as a dangerous substance because of its dangerous side effects. However, recently it has been seen in a more positive light because even though it can produce harmful effects, it is useful as a medication and for feeling good. With recent legalization, marijuana has become more popular and perception has changed.

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How has the legalization of marijuana affected the youth? 

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How has the legalization of marijuana affected the youth? 

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With decriminalization, the feeling that marijuana is encouraged to be used is given off. Additionally, legalization makes it more attainable for youths to have. As a result, adolescents are more susceptible to use and get addicted to marijuana due to its decriminalization, encouraged use, and how easily accessible it is.

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Implications of Marijuana Legalization for Adolescent Substance Use

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Marijuana that is legally available for adults has multiple implications for adolescent substance use. One potential effect that legalization may have is an increase in adolescent use to due increased availability, greater social acceptance, and possibly ...

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One hundred years ago, the federal government was not overly concerned with marijuana, the common name for the Cannabis sativa L. plant. Initially spelled "marihuana," it was also known as hemp, Mary Jane, Mary Warner, and by variety of other terms. Most Americans seemed unaware of its presence, let alone its exploitation as a drug.

By the 1930s, several state governments and other countries had banned the drug. The U.S. government hesitated, in part because therapeutic uses of Cannabis were still being explored and American industry profited from commercial applications of hemp fiber, seeds and oil.

Marijuana was not classed as a major drug-unlike opium and heroin, which were prohibited under the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 and subsequent restrictive legislation. As the political climate changed, Federal Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger became a powerful anti-marijuana voice. His campaign against Cannabis led to the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, under which the importation, cultivation, possession and/or distribution of marijuana were regulated.

Among the act's provisions was one requiring importers to register and pay an annual tax of $24. A Marihuana Tax Act stamp, affixed to each original order form and marked by the revenue collector, insured that proper payments were made. The customs collector maintained custody of imported marijuana at the port of entry until required documents were received, with similar regulations governing marijuana exports. Shipments were subject to searches, seizures and forfeitures if any provisions of the law were not met. Violation of the act resulted in a fine of not more than $2,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years.

In principle, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 stopped only the use of the plant as a recreational drug. In practice, though, industrial hemp was caught up in anti-dope legislation, making hemp importation and commercial production in this country less economical. Scientific research and medical testing of marijuana also virtually disappeared. By 1970, marijuana was classified and restricted on par with narcotics and new, tighter laws were enacted. Changes have occurred over the last 40 years. As of January 2012, 16 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, though this is still not permitted under federal regulations.

Just prior to the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, the Customs Agency Service compiled a Narcotics Manual that reported: "Marihuana may be cultivated or grown wild in almost any locality. Inasmuch as this drug is so readily obtained in the United States, it is not believed to be the subject of much organized smuggling from other countries." Today, however, marijuana trafficking is a major concern of CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Well over 3 million pounds of "pot" were confiscated at our borders in 2011, making an impact on this multibillion-dollar illegal enterprise.

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Did You Know... Marijuana Was Once a Legal Cross-Border Import?

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One hundred years ago, the federal government was not overly concerned with marijuana, the common name for the Cannabis sativa L. plant. Initially spelled "marihuana," it was also known as hemp, Mary Jane, Mary Warner, and by variety of other terms. Most Americans seemed unaware of its presence, let alone its exploitation as a drug.

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The Controlled Substance Act of 1970 is an act that defined what marijuana and other drugs listed in Schedule I are and claims that these substances have a high potential for abuse and are not medically useful.

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Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances which were in some manner regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules. This placement is based upon the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. More information can be found in Title 21 United States Code (USC) Controlled Substances Act.

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The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 allowed the regulation of possessing, using, selling, and cultivation of marijuana by paying tax money. There were very high restrictions to use marijuana other than for medical reasons. Those trying to access marijuana for different reasons would be prosecuted.

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How is it known that crimes decreased because of marijuana legalization?

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How is it known that crimes decreased because of marijuana legalization?

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Quasi experiments were performed to test rates of crimes such as rape, murder, etc. in areas where marijuana was legalized and where it wasn't legalized. Crimes rates within the same states of when marijuana wasn't legalized to when it was legalized were also compared.

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What are the results of the quasi experiments?

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What are the results of the quasi experiments?

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The quasi experiments did show that there was a connection between marijuana legalization and crimes committed. Specifically, the rates of crime decreased when comparing crimes during pre-legalization years to crimes after legalization.

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Policing on drugs was very serious because of how addictive and dangerous marijuana can be to the public. As a result, police stations focused too much on marijuana cases and looked away from other crimes. However, with the legalization, the relocation of police allowed them to focus on these other crimes and with this larger emphasis, the overall crime rate was able to decrease.

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Prevents the black market from taking place

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Prevents the black market from taking place

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Before legalization, drug dealing and the black market were rampant, causing lots of crime. After legalization, drug dealing has significantly decreased since it is now easily accessible and people don't need to spend lots for the black market. Furthermore, legalization caused drug dealers to move away from the drug trade, which decreased crime rates. It is important, however, to note that the argument about decreased crime rate is not official due to being unsure what drug dealers did after legalization. It’s not safe to assume that they completely stopped doing illegal acts, but it is probable.

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What crimes decreased with legalization?

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What crimes decreased with legalization?

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The legalization of marijuana led to a reduction in rapes and property crimes in Washington compared to the rates of these crimes during pre-legalization years (2010-2012). Moreover, it was found that legalization increased the overall use of marijuana and reduced the use of other drugs and alcohol.

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With legalization, it is harder for gangs to make a profit in the illegal cannabis markets. As a result, many gang activities stop because there’d be no point in participating since everyone is able to get their hands on the drug. Also, the decrease in gang activity leads to an overall decrease in crime because gangs are known to commit crimes. With less gangs, there are less groups willing to take risks for profit.

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What are the consequences of legalizing marijuana?

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What are the consequences of legalizing marijuana?

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While there are many benefits to legalizing marijuana, there are also negatives of putting marijuana in the market and allowing it to be used by everyone.

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According to this article, the legalization of marijuana also increases the likelihood of binge drinking along with using marijuana in general.

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Example of a state's crime rate affected by marijuana's legalization

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Example of a state's crime rate affected by marijuana's legalization

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Crime rates in Washington dropped due to marijuana’s legalization. Specifically, rapes dropped by 15% to 30%, property crimes fell by 10% to 20%, and theft decreased by 13% to 22%.

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When do these conclusions about marijuana's legalization become invalid? 

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When do these conclusions about marijuana's legalization become invalid? 

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While these arguments are pretty convincing, there are are concerns about the validity of these conclusions made.

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Results of quasi experiments do not expand to the entire United States

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Results of quasi experiments do not expand to the entire United States

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A problem with the arguments that support marijuana's legalization is that the data collected is mostly based on 2 states, Washington and Oregon. It would be nice to see more states' data focusing on pre-legalization and legalization years so that researchers can be confident that legalization benefits the entire United States.

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There is an increase in use since marijuana is now in the free market. Everyone wants to give it a try since they won't be penalized for using it. This sparks questions of how is health affected now that marijuana is legal.

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It seems like marijuana use is encouraged

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It seems like marijuana use is encouraged

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A consequence of legalizing marijuana is that the policy makes it seem like using the drug is encouraged. Because it has given off the feeling that it is encouraged, more people are prone to use marijuana and suffer because of it.

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How has legalization of marijuana affected voting and participating in politics? 

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How has legalization of marijuana affected voting and participating in politics? 

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The legalization has sparked both support and resistance. As a result, it is difficult to tell how influential marijuana will be in the future and if the legalization of marijuana will continue on.

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In 2016, the Denver District Attorney wrote a letter to Californians warning them that recreational crime concerning marijuana has surged in areas like Denver and Colorado. This shows that there is fear surrounding the legalization of marijuana and has impacted how politics work. Furthermore, it shows there are differing opinions on the legalization of marijuana and it's difficult to tell how legalization will change in the future.

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At the general election ballot in November 2012, Washington citizens voted for a law that allowed the production, processing, and selling of marijuana as long as there was regulation in place such as licensing and control by a board. 55% of votes went toward enacting this law, showing that the majority of people preferred the legalization of marijuana, which is interesting considering that the drug was banned for many years prior.

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The legalization of marijuana opened up a legal market, making it difficult for crimes. Legalization offers safety and more reliable cannabis. This benefits society because it allows citizens to feel safe about the products they use and lets them know that what they're using is allowed and protected by the laws. Moreover, the opening of a legal market boosts the economy, allowing legitimate businesses to profit rather than who break the law.

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Older generations view marijuana as dangerous and shy away from it since the drug banned for ever since they were young. This differentiates from the newer generations in that many among the youth view marijuana as good and useful for medical/recreational purposes.

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When did marijuana legalization start picking up? What patterns can we see today?

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When did marijuana legalization start picking up? What patterns can we see today?

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By the end of 2017, marijuana became legal in 9 US states, about 22% of the US population, and the article says that more states are likely to make the same decision. As of today, there are 24 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia that have allow marijuana for recreational purposes. 

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How do people and overall groups feel about marijuana's legalization? 

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How do people and overall groups feel about marijuana's legalization? 

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There are both supporters and objectors of marijuana's legalization. It depends on how they believe marijuana will impact society in terms of usage and what they believe will impact their community the most in terms of the policy change. There are also people who support and disagree with legalization at the same time.

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Future candidates and politics concerning drug use are more prominent nowadays as drug use becomes more widespread and apparent in the United States.

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Story Highlights

68% of U.S. adults favor legalizing marijuana, tied for record high

Liberal, younger, less religious are most supportive

Only 32% of conservatives aged 65 and older are in favor

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' support for marijuana legalization remains at the record-high 68% recorded each of the past two years.

When Gallup first asked about legalizing marijuana in 1969, 12% of Americans were in favor. Support grew from there, reaching 31% in 2000 and surpassing the majority level in 2013. Since 2016, at least six in 10 have been in favor.

The latest results are based on an Oct. 3-20 Gallup poll.

Majorities in Nearly All Subgroups Favor Legal Marijuana Use

Combining data for the past five years, from 2018 through 2022, allows for a more robust analysis of demographic differences in views about marijuana legalization than is possible from a single poll. Using this aggregate, Gallup finds support for legalization averaged 67% among the general population but varied significantly by subgroup. Conservative, religious and older Americans are the least supportive, while liberal, nonreligious and younger Americans are the most supportive.

Specifically, subgroups whose support for legalization exceeds the national average by 10 or more percentage points include those with no religious preference (89%), self-identified liberals (84%), Democrats (81%), young adults (79%) and those who seldom or never attend religious services (78%).

Groups whose support is at least 10 points below the national average include those who attend church weekly (46%), conservatives (49%), Republicans (51%), older adults (53%) and Hispanic adults (56%).

A statistical analysis that takes into account the influence of multiple respondent characteristics simultaneously confirms that ideology, religiosity, age and party identification are the most important predictors of marijuana attitudes. The model indicates that ideology is slightly more influential than the other variables.

After controlling for the effects of other respondent characteristics such as gender, age and education, political liberals are about three times more likely, on average, than political conservatives to support legalizing marijuana. Similarly, younger adults, Democrats, those who seldom or never attend church and those without a religious preference are slightly less than 2.5 times more likely to say marijuana should be legal than older adults, Republicans, weekly churchgoers and those with a religious preference, respectively.

The analysis also indicates that educational attainment and the region of the country where one lives do not have meaningful relationships with marijuana attitudes.

Older Conservatives' Support for Legalization Less Than Half National Average

Given the importance of ideology and age in predicting individuals' support for marijuana legalization, ideological subgroups of different ages show some of the largest intergroup differences in attitudes.

At every age level, conservatives are less likely than moderates or liberals to support making marijuana legal. However, majorities of younger conservatives (those under age 50) favor legalization, compared with 32% of older conservatives.

Age differences among political moderates are more modest, with 20 points separating the oldest (62%) and youngest (82%) moderates. That contrasts with a 33-point gap between the oldest and youngest conservatives. Liberals, on the other hand, show similarly high support -- 81% or higher -- regardless of age.

Americans have grown much more supportive of legalizing marijuana over the past two decades, but support appears to be leveling off for now, not showing any change in the past three years.

While majorities of most major subgroups are in favor of legalizing marijuana, there are a few holdouts -- namely, political conservatives and regular churchgoers. Small segments of the population (in particular, older conservatives) are still disinclined to think marijuana use should be legal. However, younger conservatives and younger moderates are more inclined than their older counterparts to think cannabis should be legal. As such, in future decades support for legalizing marijuana can be expected to continue to grow as newer, likely more pro-marijuana, generations replace older generations in the U.S. population.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.
Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).

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Marijuana Views Linked to Ideology, Religiosity, Age

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More than two-thirds of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, with ideology, religiosity, party identification and age most predictive of support.

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With marijuana's legalization, people began to use the drug much more, increasing marijuana usage. Also, with the increase in marijuana usage, other drugs and alcohol have been used less since marijuana had stronger effects and these substances were substitutes.

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According to the article linked, there are many people who support legalization of marijuana for medical use, but disagree with its legalization for recreational purposes.

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With a growing number of states authorizing the use of marijuana, the public continues to broadly favor legalization of the drug for medical and recreational purposes.

An overwhelming share of U.S. adults (88%) say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use by adults (59%) or that it should be legal for medical use only (30%). Just one-in-ten (10%) say marijuana use should not be legal, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Oct. 10-16, 2022. These views are virtually unchanged since April 2021.

The new survey follows President Joe Biden's decision to pardon people convicted of marijuana possession at the federal level and direct his administration to review how marijuana is classified under federal law. It was fielded before the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when two states legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes - joining 19 states and the District of Columbia, which had already done so.

Pew Research Center asked this question to track public views about the legal status of marijuana. For this analysis, we surveyed 5,098 adults from Oct. 10-16, 2022. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center's American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP's methodology.

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

Over the long term, there has been a steep rise in public support for marijuana legalization, as measured by a separate Gallup survey question that asks whether the use of marijuana should be made legal - without specifying whether it would be legalized for recreational or medical use. This year, 68% of adults say marijuana should be legal, matching the record-high support for legalization Gallup found in 2021.

There continue to be sizable age and partisan differences in Americans' views about marijuana. While very small shares of adults of any age are completely opposed to the legalization of the drug, older adults are far less likely than younger ones to favor legalizing it for recreational purposes.

This is particularly the case among those ages 75 and older, just three-in-ten of whom say marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use. Larger shares in every other age group - including 53% of those ages 65 to 74 - say the drug should be legal for both medical and recreational use.

Republicans are more wary than Democrats about legalizing marijuana for recreational use: 45% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favor legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use, while an additional 39% say it should only be legal for medical use. By comparison, 73% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use; an additional 21% say it should be legal for medical use only.

Ideological differences are evident within each party. About four-in-ten conservative Republicans (37%) say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, compared with a 60% majority of moderate and liberal Republicans.

Nearly two-thirds of conservative and moderate Democrats (63%) say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use. An overwhelming majority of liberal Democrats (84%) say the same.

There also are racial and ethnic differences in views of legalizing marijuana. Roughly two-thirds of Black adults (68%) and six-in-ten White adults say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, compared with smaller shares of Hispanic (49%) and Asian adults (48%).
Clear majorities of Black Americans favor marijuana legalization, easing of criminal penalties
In both parties, views of marijuana legalization vary by age

While Republicans and Democrats differ greatly on whether marijuana should be legal for medial and recreational use, there are also age divides within each party.

A 62% majority of Republicans ages 18 to 29 favor making marijuana legal for medical and recreational use, compared with 52% of those ages 30 to 49. Roughly four-in-ten Republicans ages 50 to 64 (41%) and 65 to 74 (38%) say marijuana should be legal for both purposes, as do 18% of those 75 and older.

Still, wide majorities of Republicans in all age groups favor legalizing marijuana for medical use. Even among Republicans 65 and older, just 17% say marijuana use should not be legal even for medical purposes.

While majorities of Democrats across all age groups support legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, older Democrats are less likely to say this. About half of Democrats ages 75 and older (51%) say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational purposes; larger shares of younger Democrats say the same. Still, only 8% of Democrats 75 and older think marijuana should not be legalized even for medical use - similar to the share of all other Democrats who say this.
Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

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Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use

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With more states authorizing the use of marijuana, the public continues to favor legalizing it for medical and recreational purposes.

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Although younger generations do not view marijuana as completely dangerous like older generations, they still view marijuana with a degree of caution. However, with recent change in marijuana's legalization, some have begun to view marijuana in a better light. This is because the legalization implies that the drug is good and somewhat encourages people to use it.

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Easily accessible and more prone to getting addicted

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Easily accessible and more prone to getting addicted

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Now that marijuana has been made legal in many states, it is much more accessible to the public, which makes it more likely that individuals—especially the youth—become addicted to marijuana.

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Why do people support marijuana legalization?

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Why do people support marijuana legalization?

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Some reasons people support marijuana's legalization is because

1. It is an additional way to profit legally

2. Marijuana can allow people to feel relaxed both recreationally and medically

3. The enforcement of marijuana was too cost-expensive

4. Believed that people should do what they want to do

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Why do people disagree with marijuana legalization?

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Why do people disagree with marijuana legalization?

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Some reasons why people disagree with legalization is because

1. Marijuana can be dangerous and addictive if used incorrectly

2. Can impact children and public places—it will smell like marijuana everywhere and marijuana will be prevalent in places where it shouldn't be

3. It should only be for medical purposes only

4. Healthcare challenges—a need for more professionals to combat addiction and marijuana-related issues

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Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy

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Public opinion about legalizing marijuana, while little changed in the past few years, has undergone a dramatic long-term shift. A new survey finds that 53% favor the legal use of marijuana, while 44% are opposed. As recently as 2006, just 32% supported marijuana legalization, while nearly twice as many (60%) were opposed.

Millennials (currently 18-34) have been in the forefront of this change: 68% favor legalizing marijuana use, by far the highest percentage of any age cohort. But across all generations -except for the Silent Generation (ages 70-87) - support for legalization has risen sharply over the past decade.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 25-29 among 1,500 adults, finds that supporters of legalizing the use of marijuana are far more likely than opponents to say they have changed their mind on this issue.

Among the public overall, 30% say they support legalizing marijuana use and have always felt that way, while 21% have changed their minds; they say there was a time when they thought it should be illegal. By contrast, 35% say they oppose legalization and have always felt that way; just 7% have changed their minds from supporting to opposing legalization.

When asked, in their own words, why they favor or oppose legalizing marijuana, people on opposite sides of the issue offer very different perspectives. But a common theme is the danger posed by marijuana: Supporters of legalization mention its perceived health benefits, or see it as no more dangerous than other drugs. To opponents, it is a dangerous drug, one that inflicts damage on people and society more generally.

The most frequently cited reasons for supporting the legalization of marijuana are its medicinal benefits (41%) and the belief that marijuana is no worse than other drugs (36%) -with many explicitly mentioning that they think it is no more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

With four states and Washington, D.C. having passed measures to permit the use of marijuana for personal use, 27% of supporters say legalization would lead to improved regulation of marijuana and increased tax revenues. About one-in-ten (12%) cite the costs and problems of enforcing marijuana laws or say simply that people should be free to use marijuana (9%).

Why Should Marijuana Be Legal? Voices of Supporters
Main reason you support legalizing use of marijuana...
"It is not as harmful as alcohol. [...] It also helps medical conditions as a more natural substitute to pharmaceuticals." Female, 46

"My grandson was diagnosed with epilepsy a year ago and it has been proven that it helps with the seizures." Female, 69

"I think crime would be lower if they legalized marijuana. It would put the drug dealers out of business." Female, 62

"Because people should be allowed to have control over their body and not have the government intervene in that." Male, 18

"I think that we would have more control over it by allowing a federal agency to tax and regulate it like alcohol." Male, 25

The most frequently mentioned reason why people oppose legalization is that marijuana generally hurts society and is bad for individuals (43% say this). And while many supporters of legalization say that marijuana is less dangerous than other drugs, 30% of opponents have the opposite view: They point to the dangers of marijuana, including the possibility of abuse and addiction.

About one-in-five opponents of legalization (19%) say marijuana is illegal and needs to be policed, 11% say it is a gateway to harder drugs and 8% say it is especially harmful to young people. A small share of opponents (7%) say that while the recreational use of marijuana should be illegal, they do not object to legalizing medical marijuana.

Why Should Marijuana Be Illegal? Voices of Opponents
Main reason you oppose legalizing use of marijuana...
"It's a drug and it has considerable side effects. It should not be used recreationally, only for medicinal use." Female, 20

"It's a drug that makes you stupid. It affects your judgment and motor skills and in the long term it makes you lazy." Male, 52

"It gets too many people on drugs. It would put too many drugs on the street, we don't need that." Male, 84

"I'm thinking of my child. I don't want her to try this. I know it's not good for her health or brain." Female, 33

"We have enough addictive things that are already legal. We don't need another one." Male, 42

Current Opinion on Legalizing Marijuana

The pattern of opinion about legalizing marijuana has changed little in recent years. Beyond the wide generation gap in support for legalization, there continue to be demographic and partisan differences.

Majorities of blacks (58%) and whites (55%) favor legalizing marijuana, compared with just 40% of Hispanics. Men (57% favor) continue to be more likely than women (49%) to support legalization.

Nearly six-in-ten Democrats (59%) favor legalizing the use of marijuana, as do 58% of independents. That compares with just 39% of Republicans.

Both parties are ideologically divided over legalizing marijuana. Conservative Republicans oppose legalizing marijuana by roughly two-to-one (65% to 32%); moderate and liberal Republicans are divided (49% favor legalization, 50% are opposed).

Among Democrats, 75% of liberals say the use of marijuana should be legal compared with half (50%) of conservative and moderate Democrats.

Views of Legalizing Marijuana, 1969-2015

Other Opinions: Federal Enforcement of Marijuana Laws

The new survey also finds that as some states have legalized marijuana - placing them at odds with the federal prohibition against marijuana - a majority of Americans (59%) say that the federal government should not enforce laws in states that allow marijuana use; 37% say that they should enforce these laws. Views on federal enforcement of marijuana laws are unchanged since the question was first asked two years ago.

In contrast to overall attitudes about the legal use of marijuana, there are only modest differences in views across partisan groups: 64% of independents, 58% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans say that the federal government should not enforce federal marijuana laws in states that allow its use.

A substantial majority of those who say marijuana should be legal (78%) do not think the federal government should enforce federal laws in states that allow its use. Among those who think marijuana should be illegal, 59% say there should be federal enforcement in states that allow marijuana use, while 38% say there should not be.

Concerns About Marijuana Use

While most Americans support legalizing marijuana, there are concerns about public use of the drug, if it were to become legal. Overall, 62% say that if marijuana were legal it would bother them if people used it in public; just 33% say this would not bother them. Like overall views of legalizing marijuana, these views have changed little in recent years.

There is less concern about the possibility of a marijuana-related business opening legally in people's own neighborhood: 57% say it would not bother them if a store or business selling marijuana opened legally in their neighborhood, while 41% say this would bother them.

And just 15% say they would be bothered if people used marijuana in their own homes; 82% say this would not bother them.

As might be expected, there are sharp differences in these concerns between people who favor and oppose legalizing marijuana. A large majority of opponents of marijuana legalization (85%) say they would be bothered by public use of the drug, if it were legal; about four-in-ten supporters (43%) also say they would be bothered by this. On the other hand, a majority of opponents of legalization (65%) say they would not be bothered if people used marijuana in their own homes; virtually all supporters of legalization (97%) would not be bothered by this.

And while 77% of those who oppose legalizing marijuana say, if it were legal, they would be bothered if a store or business selling marijuana opened in their neighborhood, just 12% of supporters of legalization say this would bother them.

About Half Say They Have Tried Marijuana

Overall, 49% say they have ever tried marijuana, while 51% say they have never done this. Self-reported experience with marijuana has shown no change over the past two years, but is higher than it was early last decade: In 2003, 38% said they had tried marijuana before, while 61% said they had not.

About a quarter of those who have tried marijuana (12% of the public overall) say they have used marijuana in the past year. Similar percentages reported using marijuana in the prior 12 months in two previous surveys, conducted in February 2014 and March 2013.

Men (56%) are 15 points more likely than women (41%) to say they have ever tried marijuana.

About half of whites (52%) and blacks (50%) say they have tried marijuana before. Among Hispanics, 36% say they have tried marijuana, while 63% say they have not.

Across generations, 59% of Baby Boomers say they've tried marijuana before; this compares with 47% of Generation Xers and 52% of Millennials. Among those in the Silent generation, only 19% say they have ever tried marijuana. Nearly a quarter of Millennials (23%) say they have used the drug in the past year, the highest share of any age cohort.

There is little difference in the shares of Democrats (48%) and Republicans (45%) who say they've tried marijuana. However, there are differences within each party by ideology. By a 61%-39% margin, most conservative Republicans say they have never tried marijuana. Among moderate and liberal Republicans, about as many say they have (52%) as have not (48%) tried marijuana before.

Among Democrats, liberals (58%) are more likely than conservatives and moderates (42%) to say they've tried marijuana.

While a majority of those who say marijuana should be legal say they've tried the drug before (65%), 34% of those who support legalization say they've never tried marijuana. Among those who say marijuana should be illegal, 29% say they have tried it before, while 71% say they have not.

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In Debate Over Legalizing Marijuana, Disagreement Over Drug's Dangers

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Many supporters of marijuana legalization cite its perceived health benefits, while opponents say the drug hurts people and society.

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What are the benefits for society from marijuana's legalization?

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What are the benefits for society from marijuana's legalization?

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1. Crimes rates have dropped after the decision to legalize marijuana.

2. Promotes economic growth. Selling marijuana can generate significant tax revenue and bring new jobs to cultivate and regulate marijuana.

3. Decrease in stigma surrounding drug use. People are less afraid and instead cautious of the drug.