Marijuana Legalization Support Reaches Record Highs: Poll

A new poll from CBS News found that support for marijuana legalization has reached 61 percent among Americans, a record high in the poll's history. Support for medical marijuana is even stronger, with 88 percent of respondents saying it should be legal.

Broken down by political parties, Democrats support legalization more than Republicans. Only 46 percent of Republicans favor legal marijuana, while 68 percent of Democrats support repealing laws banning the drug.

But even many of those who do not support legalizing marijuana think the federal government should stay out of the issue. A slim 24 percent of people overall think the federal government should "take action" to crack down on the sale and distribution of marijuana in states that have legalized it.

Given the continued federal prohibition on medical marijuana, in the face of many state laws that allow it, it's striking how universal support is for the allowing people to use the drug if given by a doctor. Eighty-seven percent of Republicans and independents think doctors should be allowed to provide small amounts of marijuana to people suffering from severe illnesses; that number is 92 percent among Democrats.

Read the full results of the CBS News poll.

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