Marijuana Legalization: A Majority of Americans Want Government to Stay Out of the Weed Legalization Question

Impact

Though President Obama warned states where marijuana is legal to abide by federal law on the issue, 64% of Americans are against the federal government enforcing federal anti-marijuana laws in states where weed is legal, according to a new Gallup poll.

At issue are recently passed ballot initiatives in Washington and Colorado that legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, laws that are at odds with the federal Controlled Substances Act — according to which weed is a illegal as ever in these United States of America.

However, the results of the poll suggest that the average American is on the side of pot smokers from Washington and Colorado and want president Obama to let marijuana users in those states alone — according to the USA Today/Gallup survey conducted between November 26 and 29.

But, overall, a slim majority of Americans still think marijuana should remain illegal. According to the same poll, 48% of respondents said pot should be legal versus 50% who said it should remain illegal for all intents and purposes and all across the U.S.  

Read more on Gallup Politics.