A new CBS poll shows that one in two Americans will admit to have trying marijuana, and that 56 percent of Americans think that the drug should be legal. These are both increases since last year's survey. Barely a third of Americans, 36 percent, think that marijuana should remain illegal--a number that is down seven points since last year.
Democrats and people under the age of 65 are more likely to favor legalization than Republicans and people over the age of 65, but those numbers are climbing as well.
A majority of men continues to favor marijuana legalization (59 percent), and now most women favor it as well (54 percent). Most Americans under 65 support legal marijuana use, particularly younger adults: 71 percent of adults under 35 think marijuana use should be legal, a jump of 10 points since last year. Older Americans tend to think differently: Just 31 percent of Americans 65 and over think marijuana use should be legal.
Four states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for recreational use. An additional 24 states have some form of marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes.
Clearly, the public's attitude on marijuana is changing, and rapidly. Several states will continue the push for full legalization in upcoming years, and it'll be interesting to see how those elections play out.