In the latest of many indicators of a sea change in American opinion regarding marijuana, more than two thirds of the nation’s police officers now think it’s time for a more relaxed government stance toward the plant.
According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, 69% of officers think marijuana should be legal for medical use, and 32% feel citizens should free to use the plant for recreational use as well.
The findings come from a Pew study that compares police and public opinions on a variety of topics, including deadly encounters with black citizens, perceptions of bias, the motivation of protests, body cameras and gun control.
There’s greater support for relaxed marijuana laws among the general public: 84% support legalized medical use, and 35% think recreational use shouldn’t be considered a crime.
As for strict abolitionists, 30% of cops think marijuana shouldn’t be legal in either circumstance; just 15% of the general public share that view.
