Nearly seven in 10 voters—including a majority of Republicans—support legalizing marijuana, according to a new Fox News poll.
Released on the heels of President Joe Biden’s announcement that his administration is moving to reschedule cannabis, the survey found that 69 percent of registered voters in the U.S. back broader reform to end prohibition altogether. That includes 45 percent who said they “strongly” favor the reform.
There’s support for legalization across the political and demographic spectrum, too. Democrats are more likely to back the policy change at 81 percent, but 55 percent of GOP voters and 65 percent of independents are also on board.
The poll found majority support among all ages, races, income levels, education levels and geographic regions, too. The only group with majority opposition was those who identified as “very conservative.” But even a majority of certain unexpected demographics such as those 65+ and white evangelists back the reform.
Additionally, Fox News found that 59 percent of people who are expected to vote for former President Donald Trump this November are in favor of legalizing marijuana, compared to 80 percent of expected Biden voters.
The top-line finding is consistent with a major poll from Gallup last year that put support for legalization at 70 percent among Americans.
The Fox News survey involved interviews with 1,126 registered voters from May 10-13, with a +/- three percentage point margin of error.
Don Murphy, a cannabis lobbyist and former GOP Maryland legislator, shared a picture of Fox News presenting a slide of the poll and cautioned Republican lawmakers not to say “anything stupid today” about the Biden rescheduling move given the overwhelming popularity of legalization.
To my @GOP friends: Please don’t say anything stupid today. Of course this is political, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Have a nice weekend. @AmericanCCo pic.twitter.com/FVNmZ8tKao
— Don Murphy (@donmurphy12a) May 17, 2024
“Of course this is political, but that doesn’t make it wrong,” he said.
To be sure, the Biden campaign was quick to promote the rescheduling action, drawing a contrast with Trump, whose administration rescinded federal cannabis enforcement guidance that generally outlined the government’s non-intervention policy for state cannabis laws.
But as the new survey shows, Americans have an appetite for reform that goes beyond rescheduling, which would not federally legalize cannabis. And while Biden is making much of the incremental step to reclassify marijuana, he’s maintained an opposition to legalization.
Trump, meanwhile, will have the chance to decide on a marijuana legalization ballot initiative himself as a Florida voter this November. He has not yet publicly said how he will vote, but while he’ve voiced support for states’ rights to enact their own cannabis laws, he’s also adopted aggressively anti-drug rhetoric—including support for applying the death penalty to people who sell illegal substances.
In any case, the Justice Department also announced on Thursday that Attorney General Merrick Garland had officially initiated the formal rulemaking process, submitting the proposed rescheduling rule to the Federal Register to begin a 60-day public comment period.
The action is being largely praised as a historic step in the right direction, with the federal government recognizing for the first time in over 50 years that cannabis has accepted medical value and a lower abuse potential than other drugs in Schedule I such as heroin.
Biden ‘Smokes’ Trump On Marijuana Policy, Campaign Says After President’s Rescheduling Announcement
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
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