A bipartisan majority of Americans support federally rescheduling marijuana, according to a new poll. And most also believe it should be entirely legal for adults to use cannabis.
The YouGov survey was released just days after President Donald Trump directed the attorney general to expeditiously complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
The reform wouldn’t legalize cannabis, but it would symbolically recognize the plant’s medical value, while allowing marijuana businesses to take federal tax deductions and remove certain research barriers associated with Schedule I drugs.
According to the poll, Americans are on board with the policy change. Here’s how the question was framed:
“Do you approve or disapprove of the government reclassifying marijuana from the most restrictive category of drugs to a less restrictive category that allows for research on its potential medicinal uses?”
Overall, 70 percent of respondents said they either “strongly” (42 percent) or “somewhat” (28 percent) approve of rescheduling. Just 16 percent said they oppose the reform, while 14 percent said they were unsure.
Notably, support crossed party lines, with 78 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans in favor of reclassifying cannabis. The majority support is consistent with earlier polling, including one survey released earlier this year from a firm with ties to the president.
YouGov also asked about the potential broader legalization of marijuana possession by adults, and a smaller majority (54 percent) said that should be permitted, including 68 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents. Republicans were evenly split on the question, with 41 percent in favor and 41 percent opposed.
Separately, a majority of respondents (76 percent) also said marijuana either “definitely” (43 percent) or “probably” (33 percent) has “legitimate medical uses.” On that question, there was also bipartisan agreement. Democrats were most likely to say cannabis has medical value (84 percent), followed by independents (74 percent) and Republicans (73 percent).
The survey involved interview with 31,080 U.S. adults from December 19-22, with a +/-0.8 percentage point margin of error.
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The rescheduling process initiated by the Biden administration, which Trump has now asked to be finalized, is still pending. But as prior polling has indicated—and this latest survey has reinforced—it’s a politically popular reform across the aisle.
The president said last week that cannabis can “make people feel much better” and serve as a “substitute for addictive and potentially lethal opioid painkillers.” He clarified, however, that he personally has no interest in using marijuana himself.
Trump also dismissed the concerns of GOP lawmakers who oppose rescheduling, pointing out that an overwhelming majority of Americans support the reform and that cannabis can help people—including his personal friends—who are suffering from serious health issues.
Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.
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