A new poll produced for ABC News and the Washington Post by Langer Research Associates show 1,011 adults are equally divided about whether small amounts of marijuana for personal use should be legalized.
The poll was conducted over the phone in English and Spanish at random between Jan. 8 through 12 and shows that 49 percent of Americans support the legalization of personal marijuana use while 48 percent oppose it, ABC News reported.
The almost equal opposing views show an increase of support for small amounts of personal marijuana to be legalized since the 1980s and 90s, but is only one percent higher than it was last year, according to poll.
The poll shows 36 percent of those questioned strongly oppose marijuana legalization and 28 percent strongly support it, according to ABC News.
The poll also shows a difference on the issue separated by the categories of age or with which political part the person identifies with, as well as ideology, ABC News reported.
Those over the age of 65 are half as likely to approve the legalization with 27 percent. Fifty-nine percent of Americans between the ages of 18-39 said they would likely legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
When separating those polled by political party choice, 57 percent of Democrats support legalization, as well as 50 percent of Independents, according to the poll. Only 37 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Republicans said they would support legalization.
Though the poll found little difference in support based on race, education, sex or region, it did point out a big difference between those who identify as a liberal Democrat and said they would support legalization, 69 percent, compared to the 28 percent of those who identified as a conservative Republican and would not support the legalization.
