{"id":7753,"date":"2025-07-08T10:53:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/facts-about-marijuana\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T16:06:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T20:06:36","slug":"facts-about-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/07\/08\/facts-about-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"9 facts about Americans and marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"People
People smell a cannabis plant on April 20, 2023, at Washington Square Park in New York City. (Leonardo Munoz\/VIEWpress)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The use and possession of marijuana is illegal under U.S. federal law, but most states allow people to access the drug in some form, either for medical or recreational purposes. The changing policy landscape has coincided with a decades-long rise in public support for legalization, which a majority of Americans now favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are nine facts about Americans\u2019 views of and experiences with marijuana, based on Pew Research Center surveys and other sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we did this<\/summary>\n

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to examine changing attitudes and laws related to marijuana use in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data comes from Center surveys, Gallup surveys and the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health<\/a> from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Information about marijuana legalization at the state level comes from the National Conference of State Legislatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information about the Center surveys cited in this analysis can be found at the links in the text. Here is the question used in the January 2025 survey<\/a>, the topline<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana in some way,<\/strong> according to a January-February 2025 Center survey. Around nine-in-ten U.S. adults say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and<\/em> recreational use (54%) or that it should be legal for medical use only (33%). Another 12% say the drug should not be legal at all. These views have held relatively steady over the past six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Views on marijuana legalization differ by age, political party and other factors, <\/strong>according to the January survey. While small shares across demographic groups say marijuana should not be legal at all, those least likely to support legalization for both<\/em> medical and recreational use include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n