Marijuana Moment: Republicans Are Twice As Likely As Democrats To See Marijuana Use As Morally Wrong, Poll Shows

[Tokeativity]

Americans across every demographic—age, gender, religion and political affiliation—all agree that using marijuana is not morally wrong, according to a new polling report from the Pew Research Center. However, Republicans are still twice as likely as Democrats to say consuming cannabis is a moral no-no, the survey results show.

The analysis was based on a recent poll that asked Americans about their views on the morality of a variety of behaviors and policies. Overall, 76 percent of U.S. adults said using marijuana is either morally acceptable or not a moral issue at all, compared to 23 percent who said the activity is immoral.

That puts marijuana use in roughly the same moral standing as getting a divorce and spanking children, at least from the average American perspective.

More Americans believe using marijuana is not morally wrong than those who feel the same about gambling, watching pornography, having an abortion, being gay, the death penalty and more.

Cannabis is considered decidedly less moral than alcohol, however, with only 16 percent of respondents calling it morally wrong to drink.

That said, a closer look at the demographic data on the marijuana question shows that, by and large, the prevailing opinion is that smoking marijuana doesn’t make someone a bad person.

The age breakdown for those who said cannabis use isn’t morally wrong shows little deviation among younger and older adults: 18-29 (79 percent), 30-49 (76 percent), 50-64 (77 percent) and 65+ (73 percent).

There’s also general uniformity in the belief that cannabis use is not morally wrong among people who subscribe to different religious denominations: Christian (72 percent), Protestant (73 percent), Catholic (74 percent), Jewish (85 percent). Atheists and agnostics were even less likely to regard marijuana use as immoral, with 98 percent and 94 percent percent describing the activity as morally acceptable or not a moral issue, respectively.

Men and women were equally likely to say using cannabis isn’t immoral, at 76 percent.

Via Pew Research Center.

Where there is a notable divide, however, concerns politics. While a majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle say consuming cannabis isn’t morally wrong (69 percent for Republicans and 84 percent for Democrats), Republicans (30 percent) were two times as likely as Democrats (15 percent) to say using marijuana is immoral.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say using marijuana is morally wrong(30% vs. 15%).

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) March 26, 2026

An earlier polling report from Pew on the same survey, which also combined data from respondents across the world, showed that people with lower levels of education are more likely to have moral concerns about cannabis.

The fact that people are less likely to have moral concerns about alcohol isn’t particularly surprising, as more Americans report drinking alcohol than use cannabis—and its status as a widely available legal substance for adults in all 50 states may contribute to perceptions of morality—but it also comes amid a broader shift in public opinion that’s been detailed in prior polling.

For example, a survey released last year found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and most also expect cannabis to be legal nationwide within the next five years.

Data from Pew’s latest report was based on a nationally representative panel of 3,605 U.S. adults who were surveyed from March 24-30, 2025.

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Meanwhile, back in 2018, Gallup also asked U.S. adults about the morality of various issues. It found that Americans view cannabis consumption as more moral than the death penalty, medical testing on animals, physician assisted suicide, abortion, pornography, cloning animals, polygamy and extramarital affairs.

Pew released a poll last year that showed an overwhelming majority of Americans—nearly nine in 10—support legalizing marijuana in some form.

An earlier Pew survey from 2024 separately highlighted views on the societal impacts of recreational legalization, and a majority (52 percent) said the reform is “good” for local economies. A 42 percent plurality additionally agreed that legalization would make the criminal justice system “more fair.”

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

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