Polling says 62% of Missouri voters support recreational marijuana legalization

Cannabis in the Show-Me State has gained more traction and acceptance statewide since the passage of medical marijuana and the legalization of hemp in 2018. 

While not everyone approves of marijuana use, cannabis as a plant has seen significant destigmatization, both in Missouri and on a national level, within the last four years. 

In the state’s Capitol, legislators pushed multiple pieces of legislation in efforts to legalize marijuana in 2022. While those efforts fell short, the sheer number of pieces of legislation and the attention they garnered are far from the treatment of cannabis in the Missouri legislature just a few years ago.

Early in May, the Legal Missouri 2022 campaign turned in nearly 400,000 signatures in support of marijuana legalization for adult use in Missouri. Now, a recent poll shows that more than 60% of respondents are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. 

Voters were asked, “Should the use of marijuana for recreational use remain against the law in Missouri? Or be legalized?”

71% of voters aged 18-49 answered in favor of legalization, while 59% of voters between 50-64 say they support legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. That’s good news for advocates as they move forward, working to educate the public ahead of a November election that should include ballot language that will amend Article XIV of the state’s constitution to legalize adult-use marijuana in Missouri.

SurveyUSA conducted the study between 5/11 and 5/15 of this year.

Only adults age 65+ had less than 50% approval of legalization with 46%. Even then, only 35% of those voters in the same demographic were opposed to legalization, while 18% were undecided.

By party affiliation, 49% of Republican voters, 76% of Democrat voters, and 66% of those who identified as Independent say they are in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes.

See more data from the survey here.