CBS News Poll

Marijuana and Medical Marijuana after the 2012 Electionby Fred Backus

November 16-19, 2011

For the first time since CBS News began asking the question, as many Americans now think marijuana use should be legal as think it should not. Following the passage of referendums in Colorado and Washington that made them the first two states to allow marijuana use to all adults twenty-one years of age and older, support for legalizing marijuana inched up slightly from 45% in September to 47% today, now matching the 47% who think it should remain prohibited.

A year ago, a slight majority of Americans opposed legalizing marijuana use.

Should Marijuana Use be Legal?Now 9/2012 10/2011 3/2010 7/1979

Legal 47% 45% 40% 44% 27%Not Legal 47 49 51 51 69

According to exit polls, legalizing marijuana passed in Colorado and Washington with the support of a majority of younger voters under the age of 45. Nationwide, this pattern continues: a majority of Americans under the age of 45 support legalizing marijuana, while more older Americans – particularly those over 65 – oppose.

Should Marijuana Use be Legal?Total 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+

Legal 47% 54% 53% 46% 30%Not Legal 47 41 42 48 61

Americans are divided by party on this issue as well. While 51% of Democrats and 55% of independents support legalizing marijuana, 66% of Republicans oppose it.

Marijuana for Medical Use

Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Montana joined 17 other states in legalizing marijuana for medical use, something that has wide support from Americans overall. 83% of Americans favor allowing doctors to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses – up from 77% a year ago and 62% back in 1997. A majority of Americans of all ages - as well as most Republicans, Democrats, and independents – favor allowing this.

Should Doctors be Allowed to Prescribe Marijuana for Medical Use?Now 10/2011 2/1997

Allowed 83% 77% 62%Not allowed 13 17 33

Still, just 29% of Americans think that most of the marijuana that is purchased in this country through state authorized medical marijuana programs is being used to alleviate suffering from serious medical illnesses, while 53% think it is used for other purposes. This hasn’t changed much from a year ago.

Most Marijuana Prescribed by Doctors is…Now 10/2011

For serious medical illness 29% 31%For other reasons 53 52

Marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, though most Americans don’t think this is a matter that should involve the federal government. 59% of Americans think whether or not to legalize marijuana should be left up to each individual state government to decide – including 49% of those who oppose legalizing marijuana in general.

Who Should Determine Whether Marijuana is Legal?Now 9/2012

State governments 59% 62%Federal governments 34 31

_____________________________________________________________________________________This poll was conducted by telephone from November 16-19, 2012 among 1,100 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.  The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS News PollMarijuana and Medical MarijuanaNovember 16-19, 2011

q5 Do you think that the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind Sep12b % % % % %Legal 47 27 51 55 45Not legal 47 66 41 41 49Don't know/No answer 6 7 7 5 6

q6 Do you think doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses, or not?

Oct11bAllowed 83 76 87 84 77Not allowed 13 19 10 11 17DK/NA 4 5 3 5 6

q7 Do you think most of the marijuana that is purchased in this country through state authorized medical marijuana programs is being used to alleviate suffering from serious medical illnesses, or do you think most of it is being used for other reasons?

For serious medical illness 29 15 36 31 31For other reasons 53 72 45 48 52Don't know/No answer 18 13 18 21 17

q8 Do you think laws regarding whether the use of marijuana is legal or not should be determined by the federal government, or left to each individual state government to decide?

Sep12b

Federal government 34 29 38 33 31State governments 59 65 55 59 62Both (vol.) 2 3 2 3 2DK/NA 5 2 6 5 5

UNWEIGHTED WEIGHTEDTotal Respondents 1,100

Republicans 298 272 (25%)Democrats 394 380 (35%)Independents 408 448 (40%)