While there is broad support for legalizing medical marijuana, and increasing support for general legalization, only four-in-ten American adults say they have tried marijuana. The majority (58%), however, say they have never smoked the illegal drug. More men (48%) than women (31%) say they have tried marijuana. Young adults, ages 18 to 29, are the most likely to have smoked marijuana (49%), but all Americans younger than age 65 — adults ages 30 to 49 (47%) and adults ages 50 to 64 (42%) — are nearly as likely to have tried marijuana. Democrats (41%) are more likely to have tried marijuana than Republicans (32%) — though independents are the most likely (44%) — and the religiously unaffiliated (59%) are far more likely than white evangelical Protestants (28%) to have smoked. There is not, however, much difference along income, education or geographical lines with regard to having ever smoked marijuana. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.