The Bottom Line

American Demographics,  June 1, 2003  by Pamela Paul

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Byline: PAMELA PAUL

*One-third of Americans favor legalization of marijuana. Support for legalization has risen nearly threefold since 1969.

*A majority of Americans are in favor of decriminalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, such as to ease nausea or pain due to cancer or AIDS. The most recent polls show 8 in 10 Americans approve of the right to such usage.

*Several surveys indicate that teen usage has declined, signaling a shift away from recreational use. According to the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey, 48 percent of high school seniors from the class of 2002 tried pot, down from a peak level of 60 percent in 1979. Gallup Youth Surveys show overall teen usage dropping almost 50 percent over the past 20 years.

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