The majority believes marijuana is just as moral as gambling

According to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday, seven in 10 Americans believe smoking marijuana is moral. This marks a small jump from a previous poll, where two-thirds of people supported legalizing cannabis use in the country.

The survey captures American views on 21 different issues that are now or at some time in the past considered controversial. Other acts that were considered morally acceptable and comparable to smoking cannabis included birth control, gambling, sex before marriage, and divorce. Although cannabis is firmly entrenched in the mainstream, there are ideas that are still considered taboo for many Americans. Among the issues that more people see as morally wrong than morally acceptable are abortion, pornography, and polygamy.

“At least seven in ten US adults say birth control, drinking alcohol, divorce, sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman, gambling and smoking marijuana are acceptable moral behaviors.” https://t.co/ITsjzw1eAr pic .twitter.com/mPGG8Tdj91

— GallupNews (@GallupNews) June 23, 2020

Not surprisingly, ideology has a significant impact on how Americans responded to the poll, and smoking marijuana represented one of the biggest divides between those who identified as conservative and liberal. 51 percent of conservatives thought smoking marijuana was morally acceptable, but 83 percent of liberals said the same. Only on six other issues, including sex before marriage, abortion, and gay or lesbian relationships, did opinions differ more.

RELATED: Why 2021 will be the year of marijuana legalization

“Public opinion continues to shift drastically in favor of the legal and cultural status of marijuana, and it’s about time federal laws evolved as well,” said Justin Strekal, policy director of NORML. “As we approach Independence Day, it is reassuring to see that majority on both sides of the ideological spectrum agree that adults should be freed from the shackles of marijuana prohibition.”

Photo by Kamonrat Meunklad/EyeEm/Getty Images

According to detailed survey results, smoking marijuana was morally acceptable in all demographics and ages. Level of education, age and race did not show drastic differences on this question. Given recent calls for criminal justice reform, NORML believes this could be an important opportunity to advance state cannabis legislation.

RELATED: Is Legal Marijuana the Post-Pandemic Economic Relief America Needs?

Strekal said, “Politicians in Washington should take this opportunity ahead of the 2020 election to push legislation like the MORE Act, both to change these failed policies and to address the inequalities and injustices that they have faced for generations, particularly towards communities of color.” has brought himself.” ”