Americans' Support for Cannabis Legalization Peaked at 71%, But Remains High: CBD Oracle's Meta-Analysis of Poll Data

CBD Oracle's meta-analysis of 70 polls reveals a decade-long increase in support for legal weed, despite a recent decline.

TUSTIN, Calif., Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabis consumer research company CBD Oracle has released one of the most comprehensive analyses of poll data on Americans' support for legal cannabis. CBD Oracle conducted Monte Carlo analyses of polls taken over the past decade. The results show that support peaked in early 2022, when 71% of US adults supported cannabis legalization, with a slight decline in the past two years.

"Support for legalizing cannabis has only strengthened over the past decade," said CBD Oracle's Lee Johnson, who conducted the analysis, "although support only passed 70% once, in early 2022, opposition to legalization remains below 30% even today. Don't be misled by short-term trends: Americans still overwhelmingly favor legalization."

CBD Oracle conducted a Monte Carlo analysis of nationally-representative polls of US adults taken from 2015 to 2024 (to date). This accounts for both within-poll variability and between-poll variability, by producing a simulated distribution of 1,000 data points for each poll. This data was then combined to produce the final results.

Overall, the results showed that support for legal cannabis grew from 53% in 2015 to 62% by mid-2024, peaking at 71% in early 2022.

The analysis showed that democrats (71%) and independents (64%) are more likely to support legalization than republicans (48%), and adults aged under 45 are more likely to be in favor than older adults (66% vs. 60%). Support didn't vary substantially based on race or gender.

The analysis also looked at key states for 2024, such as Florida, where residents will vote on a ballot initiative for legal cannabis in November. Overall, polling from 2023 showed 66% support, compared to 57% for polls taken so far in 2024. The initiative requires 60% support to pass, but CBD Oracle notes that the most recent polling from June shows support at between 64 and 66%. It is likely that Florida's initiative will pass, unless there is a drastic shift in the coming months.

The full report is available for download here (PDF).

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CBD Oracle is a consumer research company working to improve the safety and transparency of cannabis and hemp products, producing in-depth research pieces on cannabis and cannabinoids, along with analysis of social and legal issues.

SOURCE CBD Oracle