Public Attitudes Toward Marijuana Legalization: Examining to Influence of Demographics, Political Orientation and Marijuana Experiences

Background/Purpose: Public opinion in the United States has shifted dramatically in support of marijuana legalization. Since 1996, 29 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) have enacted laws making some forms of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. While marijuana (including medical marijuana) is illegal at the federal level under the Controlled Substances Act, state-level marijuana policy is rapidly evolving. Voters in eight states and D.C. have approved ballot measures to legalize marijuana use for adults and several states have marijuana legalization proposals slated for upcoming elections. The purpose of the current study was to examine attitudes toward marijuana legalization and identify factors associated with these views. Specifically we consider the relationship between demographics (e.g. age, race, gender, education, and parent status), political orientation (left of center, right of center, center/other) and marijuana related behaviors (e.g. recent or past marijuana use and perceived risk associated with marijuana use).

Methods:  Data were collected using web-based surveys administered online during a three week period (August-September 2016). Participants (N=2258) were recruited through online and email advertisements from community based agencies and a statewide advocacy coalition. Surveys included measures based on previous public opinion research and were developed with input from advocacy coalition members located throughout the state. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to compare individuals who supported marijuana legalization, those who were uncertain and those who did not support legalization. Independent variables included demographics, political orientation, and marijuana-related variables (e.g. past marijuana use, and level of perceived risk for marijuana).

Results: Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 88 years (Mean=45.5 years) and were 72% female. Approximately two thirds (63.6%) of the sample reported lifetime marijuana use and nearly half of the sample (47.3%) supported marijuana legalization. Smaller portions (41.5%) did not support legalization or were uncertain (11.2%). Compared to adults who did not support marijuana legalization, legalization supporters had lower odds of being older (OR=0.97), female (OR=0.37), and greater odds of having a left of center political orientation (OR 1.75), perceiving risks associated with marijuana (OR=0.57), and reporting recent (past year) (OR=13.03) or past marijuana use (>1 year ago OR=3.76). Compared to those who did not support legalization, adults who were uncertain had lower odds of being older (OR=0.98), having right of center political orientation (OR=0.47), and perceiving risks for marijuana use (OR=0.74). Although there were no differences in past year marijuana use, respondents who were “unsure” were more likely to report past marijuana use than those who did not support legalization (OR=2.71). Education, race/ethnicity, and parent status were not associated with marijuana legalization attitudes.

Conclusions & Implications: Results find high levels of support for marijuana legalization and provide insight into how the general public perceives marijuana use and marijuana legalization. Understanding public perceptions is important as policies shift toward increased marijuana legalization. These shifts could create greater challenges for social work efforts to prevent and treat marijuana use disorders.