Support for legal marijuana is slipping for the first time in decades. This is primarily due to a decline in support among Republicans.
According to a new Gallup survey, support for legal marijuana is on the decline. In 2023, a record 70% of Americans said cannabis should be legal. But this year, only 64% said the same thing. That’s a -6 percentage point drop that ends more than two decades of steady growth in public support.
This decline in support is driven primarily by Republicans. Over the past two years, the share of GOP voters who back marijuana legalization has plunged from 55% to 40%. That’s a -15 percentage point decline. Independents have also slipped, down -6 points since 2022 to 66%. Meanwhile, Democrats remain steady at 85% support.
Gallup has recorded a similar shift in attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Today, 68% of Americans say it should be legal, down -3 points from its record high in 2022. Once again, Republicans account for most of the decline, with support falling by -14 points over the last three years. A new case before the Supreme Court is fueling speculation that some justices may seek to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).
Since Trump’s election in 2024, polls show the country has shifted in a culturally conservative direction. Why? Maybe because some conservatives (and liberals) now feel freer to express their views. But maybe also because the shift reflects deepening polarization and sharper party sorting. Both marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage are widely seen as causes that brand Democratic. That makes it harder for some Republicans to back them without appearing to side with the other tribe.