More Than 80 Percent of Texans Support Medical Marijuana Legalization

More than half of the U.S. states have legalized marijuana in some form. Texas is not one of them, but a new poll suggests that Texans may be open to legalizing marijuana at some point soon.

A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows that a full 83 percent of Texans are open to the idea of legalizing medical marijuana, and over half of respondents were okay with legalizing cannabis for any reason.

These numbers both represent a growth in societal openness to marijuana legalization in the Lone Star State.

Overall, 83 percent of Texans support legalizing marijuana for some use; 53 percent would go beyond legal medical marijuana to allow possession for any use, the poll found. Two years ago, 24 percent of Texans said no amount of marijuana should be legal for any use and another 34 percent said it should be allowed only for medical use.

Eleven states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Twenty-eight states have legalized it for medicinal use for the treatment of certain conditions. Each state that has legalized cannabis for recreational use has done so through a statewide referendum.