Whether Democrat, Republican or independent, legalizing cannabis is a popular topic among voters. According to an October 2022 poll from Monmouth University, more than two-thirds (68%) of Americans support legalizing marijuana, including 76% of Democrats, 52% of Republicans and 73% of independents. Many see the drug as being less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.
Prior to this year's elections, medical marijuana had been legalized in 39 states and the District of Columbia, while adult-use of cannabis had been legalized in D.C. and 19 states. Multiple U.S. colonies, such as Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, had also passed progressive cannabis laws.
