--- title: More Americans Than Ever Support Legalizing Marijuana description: The majority of Americans think marijuana use should be legal in the United States, a new Gallup poll shows. canonical: https://time.com/4081755/american-marijuana-legal-poll/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-21T18:00:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:23.631Z article:section: Politics og:title: More Americans Than Ever Support Legalizing Marijuana og:description: 58% of Americans say they favor legalizing marijuana use og:url: https://time.com/4081755/american-marijuana-legal-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e7604d557c7010d/698869365f570fa378b1df24/pot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5130 og:image:height: 2886 og:image:alt: 544542359 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: More Americans Than Ever Support Legalizing Marijuana twitter:description: 58% of Americans say they favor legalizing marijuana use twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e7604d557c7010d/698869365f570fa378b1df24/pot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # More Americans Than Ever Support Legalizing Marijuana > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b819fb80-d0fc-4b77-8303-76fa0ee1b1f6&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: You Can Now Buy Recreational Marijuana In Oregon [Watch (HLS stream): You Can Now Buy Recreational Marijuana In Oregon](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/q5cMgz1x.m3u8) (1:25)  _Published 2015-10-01. Oregon now will allow the sale of recreational marijuana in limited quantities, but what benefits and challenges likely await the state?_ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Oct 21, 2015 6:00 PM UTC  Indica Weed Plant Indica Weed Plant Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Oct 21, 2015 6:00 PM UTC The majority of Americans think marijuana use should be legal in the U.S., with 58% saying they favor legalizing the drug, [a new poll shows](http://www.gallup.com/poll/186260/back-legal-marijuana.aspx?g%5Fsource=Social%20Issues&g%5Fmedium=newsfeed&g%5Fcampaign=tiles). Younger generations are more in favor of the move compared to older ones, but the survey found that older generations are showing more support than they did in the past, the Gallup poll found. Gallup reports that in 1969, when the organization first asked Americans about the issue, only 12% thought marijuana use should be legal. That position has grown steadily over time. “Over the past six years, support has vacillated a bit, but averaged 48% from 2010 through 2012 and has averaged above the majority level, 56%, since 2013,” [Gallup says](http://www.gallup.com/poll/186260/back-legal-marijuana.aspx?g%5Fsource=Social%20Issues&g%5Fmedium=newsfeed&g%5Fcampaign=tiles). The recent survey shows the most support to date. States are changing or considering changes to laws surrounding marijuana, and Gallup notes that the issue has become a topic on the campaign trail. To reach these findings, Gallup conducted telephone interviews from Oct. 7 to 11, 2015, polling a random sample of 1,015 adults age 18 or older in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data shows that younger Americans, Democrats and Independents are the most likely to support legalizing marijuana. Republicans and older Americans are the least likely to voice support. While young adults have long been more in favor of legalizing marijuana, their support has also grown over time. In 1969, 20% of adults age 18 to 34 were in support, and that has gone up to 71% this year. “These patterns by age indicate that one reason Americans are more likely to support legal marijuana today than they were in the past is because newer generations of adults, who are much more inclined to favor use of the drug, are replacing older generations in the population who were much less inclined to want it to be legalized,” Gallup reports. ## Transcript Smoking marijuana recreationally has been legal in Oregon since July, but now people can legally purchase the drug. Anyone over the age of 21 can now buy a quarter ounce of dried leaves and flowers. Edibles likely won't be available until the second half of 2016. Of course, legality comes with a hefty tag, 25 % in this case. However, it'll be sold tax- free until January 4th. Most of the tax revenue will go to schools. The rest is largely divided between drug addiction services and funding to uphold the law. No doubt Oregon is trying to mimic the apparent successes of Colorado and Washington state. In 2014, the states raised roughly $ 63 million and $ 70 million, respectively. The added revenue was obviously better than nothing. But, schools aren't getting as much funding as you might think. Being the first to legalize the drug, Colorado's been the most used case study. USA Today reported earlier this year, Here the state had only $ 17 million to pass on to schools. If you divided that up among Colorado's 1, 700 public schools, you'd have under $ 10, 000 per school. And building a new school can range between $ 10 million and more than $ 100 million. And in addition to competition with black market dealers, Colorado's been losing potential revenue from residents sticking with medical dispensaries with much lower taxes. Oregon will likely have to deal with these issues as well. 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