A new national survey of American voters has found a strong majority in support of marijuana legalization and an even larger majority in support of decriminalization of the drug.
The "Beyond the Beltway" report released Wednesday by Democratic-affiliated Benenson Strategy Group and SKDKnickerbocker found 61 percent of Americans in favor of marijuana legalization and 72 percent in favor of decriminalization. The drug remains illegal under federal law.
From Feb. 26 to 27, researchers asked 1,032 registered voters selected from an opt-in online panel if they agreed or disagreed with this statement: "State-regulated sales of marijuana should be legal across the country, just like they are in states like Colorado and Washington."
They found that 35 percent "completely" agreed and 26 percent "somewhat" agreed, while 23 percent "completely" disagreed and 17 percent "somewhat" disagreed.
