Opinions On Marijuana Have Changed A Lot In 50 Years

"Which do you feel is worse -- a middle aged person getting drunk from too much liquor, or a young person trying marijuana?"
Jerry Ludke sells weed necklaces during the 420 celebration at Civic Center Park in Denver, April 20, 2016. People gather at the park to celebrate marijuana.
Jerry Ludke sells weed necklaces during the 420 celebration at Civic Center Park in Denver, April 20, 2016. People gather at the park to celebrate marijuana.
RJ Sangosti via Getty Images

Americans' views on marijuana have shifted quite a bit since the term 4/20 was coined about four decades ago. In 1969, just 12 percent of Americans thought marijuana should be legalized -- by 2013, nearly 60 percent agreed. More than 40 percent of the public now tell Gallup they've tried marijuana, up from just 4 percent when pollsters first asked nearly five decades ago.

Along the way, pollsters have thrown in more colorful questions on the subject, forcing call center employees to ring up Americans and ask them how easy it is to buy pot in their neighborhood or how often their friends get stoned. Here's a sampling of some of the most interesting surveys, courtesy of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research:

1969: Little Support For Legalizing Marijuana
Roper Center
1969: Americans Weigh In On The Effects Of Marijuana
Roper Center
1971: Half Of Parents Would Turn In Their Children
Roper Center
1971: Worse Than Middle-Aged Drunks
Roper Center
1974: 38% Think The Younger Generation Will 'Grow Out Of' Marijuana
Roper Center
1978: Narrow Majority Supports Firing Aides Who Smoke
Roper Center
1986: In Retrospect...
Roper Center
1986: Three-Quarters Of Americans Say It'd Be Easy To Buy Marijuana
Roper Center
1987: 'Stoned' or 'High'
Roper Center
1987: Nearly One-Third Of Americans Are Kind Of A Buzzkill
Roper Center
1992: Voters Don't Believe Clinton Didn't Inhale
Roper Center
1999: Half Of Americans Think Smoking Warrants Impeachment
Roper Center
2013: 'Weed' And 'Pot' Beat 'Ganja' And 'Reefer'
Roper Center
2013: A Majority Supports Legalization For The First Time
Roper Center
2015: Few Care About Candidates' Marijuana Usage
Roper Center

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