A lot of Americans don’t know if marijuana’s legal where they live

By Victoria McNally

How confusing is marijuana legislation in the United States? Enough that one-tenth of Americans polled in a recent survey have no idea if it’s legal where they live.

In a 2022 OnePoll US (now Talker Research) survey of 1,000 general population respondents, 11% admitted to not knowing if their home state allows for the legal possession of marijuana and other THC products. 

Roughly 54% claimed to live somewhere where marijuana is legal, including the 13% who claimed it’s only “partially” legal in their area. 

While 39 states have permitted medicinal marijuana use among their citizens, only 19 have also approved it for recreational use — including Colorado, which first legalized the substance in 2012.

Although a national legalization bill passed in the House of Representatives in 2022, the Senate has yet to review the legislation, and still has not a year later.  

Meanwhile, 67% agreed that the United States should legalize marijuana on a federal level.

A nearly identical percentage of respondents (67%) also expressed familiarity with April 20, otherwise known as “4/20” — an unofficial “holiday for stoners” that’s also treated as a day of action among decriminalization activists.

Of course, not everyone was familiar with the term.

“This means 4 over 20 or 4 divided by 20,” said one respondent.

“I haven’t got a fifth of an idea,” said another. 

Others had heard of the date’s connection to cannabis, but not its counterculture origins as a ritual among a group of Californians in the ‘70s, who reportedly smoked every day at 4:20 p.m. 

While marijuana typically factors into stereotypical celebrations of Weed Day, ​​popular non-smoking activities can include indulging in snacks, TV/movie marathons and even some well-deserved couch potato time. 

When asked what they’d hypothetically choose to watch at just such an event, one in four respondents (27%) picked “something comforting and easy to follow” like the “Great British Baking Show.”

Another one in five (26%) would prefer something “funny and nonsensical” like “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” or “Anchorman.”

Only one in seven (16%) preferred to stay on theme with stoner comedies, e.g. “Pineapple Express.”

And even fewer, one in 10 (11%), wanted their minds blown by something like “The Matrix” or “Planet Earth.”

MOST-WATCHED STONER COMEDIES

1. “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) - 28.4%
2. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) - 28.3%
3. “Up in Smoke” (1978) - 27.5%
4. “Pineapple Express” (2008) - 26.0%
5. “Dude, Where’s My Car?” (2000) - 25.8%
6. “Dazed and Confused” (1993) - 25.7%
7. “Friday (1995)” - 25.5%
8. “The Big Lebowski” (1998) - 25.1%
9. “Half-Baked” (1998) - 23.6%
10. "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001) - 23.6%

MOST POPULAR STONER COMEDIES

1. “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle “(2004) - 18.2%
2. “Pineapple Express” (2008) - 17.3%
3. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) - 17.2%
4. “Up in Smoke” (1978) - 16.5%
5. “The Big Lebowski “(1998) - 16.4%