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Americans Urge for Restraint on Medical Marijuana

June 16, 2005

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in the United States believe a recent court decision should not bring immediate prosecutions for people who use cannabis under a doctor’s orders, according to a poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. for the Marijuana Policy Project. 68 per cent of respondents believe the federal government should not prosecute medical marijuana patients.

On Jun. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government can block the cultivation of cannabis for personal use, citing broader social and financial implications. The 6-3 decision effectively allows the federal government to override state legislation.

Ten American states—Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington—allow the use of marijuana under medical supervision. Arizona has implemented a similar law, but has no formal regulations on the prescription of cannabis. 65 per cent of respondents believe the use of marijuana under a doctor’s orders should remain legal, while 20 per cent disagree.

Cannabis has been prescribed to ease the symptoms of people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, AIDS and cancer. Several petitions to "reschedule" marijuana and remove it from a specific category of restricted substances have been filed in U.S. courts.

Polling Data


Should the federal government prosecute medical marijuana patients now that it has been given the okay to do so by the U.S. Supreme Court?



Yes 16%
No 68%
Not sure 16%


Do you think adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor recommends it, or do you think that marijuana should remain illegal even for medical purposes?



Legal 65%
Illegal 20%
Undecided 10%


Source: Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. / Marijuana Policy Project
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 732 registered American voters, conducted from Jun. 8 to Jun. 11, 2005. Margin of error is 3.7 per cent.