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The possession and use of cannabis is illegal under federal law in the United States. Despite this, many states across the country have legalized the drug for recreational or medical purposes. This comes as public support for legalization continued to increase.
Below are some facts about cannabis in the United States, based on recent data.
Almost 90% of Americans want cannabis to be legalized for recreational or medical use.
A survey conducted by Pew Research Center in January found that 88% of adults in America think cannabis should be legal for recreational or medical use.
More than 50% live in a state where both recreational and medical use is legal.
A data analysis conducted by the Census Bureau found that 54% of Americans live in legal states, while another 74% live in states where cannabis is legal for either medical or recreational use.
The first states to legalize recreational cannabis were Washington and Colorado.
Almost 80% of Americans live in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary.
According to the Census Bureau analysis, there are almost 15,000 marijuana dispensaries across the country. More than 75% of individuals live in states where recreational marijuana is legal while another 23% live in medical states.
The states with the largest number of dispensaries include Oklahoma, California, Michigan, Colorado and Florida.
Support for cannabis legalization has grown greatly over the last 20 years.
A 2023 Gallup survey found that 70% of adults support the legalization of cannabis. This is more than double the number of individuals who supported the drug’s legalization in 2000.
Views on cannabis legalization differ by political party, age, ethnicity and race.
An estimated 71% of adults aged 30 years and younger are in favor of recreational and medical legalization of cannabis. In comparison, 31% of those aged 75 and older support cannabis legalization for recreational and medical use. In addition, 72% of Democrats favor cannabis legalization for both uses while 42% of GOP members favor the drug’s legalization for both uses.
The January survey also found that 65% of Blacks, 59% of Whites and 45% of Asian Americans and Hispanics support the drug’s legalization for recreational and medical use.
About 50% of Americans have used cannabis.
A survey carried out by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health last year found that 50% of Americans have used cannabis before. This is a smaller share than the 64% who have used tobacco products and the 84% who admitted to consuming alcohol.
All these statistics and facts point to the changing perception of marijuana, and enterprises such as SNDL Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDL) are looking forward to the time when the federal prohibition of cannabis finally ends.
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