Poll: Just 51% of Americans Favor MJ Legalization Now

Support for marijuana legalization has dropped significantly from a year ago, but a slight majority are still behind it, a new poll from Gallup found this week.

The poll, conducted from Oct. 12-15 and released on Thursday, concluded that 51% of Americans back legalizing marijuana on a national scale. While that number is down from 58% a year ago, Gallup has also found a more long-term trend of growing support for liberalizing cannabis laws.

Public support for legalizing the use of marijuana has clearly increased over the past decade. The question now is whether the momentum will continue to build or level off at a bare majority supporting it,” Gallup concluded.

The poll comes at a time when marijuana saw electoral gains all over the country, with Alaska, Oregon and Washington DC passing recreational cannabis laws.