TIME Drugs

Sixty Percent of Americans Support Legal Pot

Marijuana Grow Near Albany For State's Legal Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Drew Angerer—Getty Images Cannabis plants grow in the greenhouse at Vireo Health's medical marijuana cultivation facility, August 19, 2016 in Johnstown, New York.

Support has reached its highest level in 47 years

Support for legal marijuana has reached record levels, with 60 percent of American adults supporting legalizing the drug, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey found that support for legalizing pot has nearly doubled in the last ten years and has reached its highest level in 47 years.

In 2013, supporters of the drug reached a majority of the first time.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington legalized recreation marijuana use—since then Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Columbia have all followed suit.

The legal marijuana business is expected to hit over $6.7 billion in sales this year, and in November, four more states — including California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada — will vote on marijuana legislation, possibly tilting the percentage of states where pot is legal to as much as 25 percent.

“If recreational marijuana use becomes legal in California this year, many other states will likely follow, because the ‘Golden State’ often sets political trends for the rest of the U.S.,” states the Gallup report.

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