A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California reveals a record level of support for the legalization of marijuana in the state.
According to the PPIC poll results, 53 percent of California residents believe marijuana should be made legal, while 45 percent believe it should remain illegal.
While majorities of Californians have expressed support for legalizing marijuana in previous years, this year marks a record level of support.
Unsurprisingly, voters’ preferences were mostly split on political and ideological lines: a majority of California Democrats (63%) and independent voters (57%) believe marijuana should be legalized, while a majority of Republicans (54%) think the drug should remain illegal.
Perhaps the most interesting split is among those who have tried marijuana and those who have not; Approximately three in four (74%) of those who have used marijuana in the past believe it should be legalized, while just 35% of those who have never used it agreed. Also unsurprisingly, 18-34 year-olds were significantly more likely to favor legalization than those 55 years or older.
Californians’ record level of support for marijuana legalization comes at an opportune time, as marijuana advocates are all but certain to place a legalization measure on the 2016 ballot.
On the East Coast, the legalization question could play an outsized role in the 2016 presidential election.
The poll was conducted among 1,706 adults with a margin of error of 3.7%.