Poll: Most Americans Say Cannabis Is Not Particularly Dangerous to Health

A growing majority of Americans no longer accept the exaggerated claims about cannabis that fueled prohibition for generations.

According to a new national Rasmussen Reports poll, 55 percent of American adults believe cannabis is either “not very dangerous” or “not at all dangerous.” Only 37 percent consider cannabis use somewhat or very dangerous—down from 42 percent in September 2025.

The findings, first highlighted by our colleagues at National NORML, offer further evidence that public opinion has moved far beyond federal cannabis policy.

Most Americans appear ready for an honest conversation about cannabis. Unfortunately, many elected officials are still arguing with talking points left over from Reefer Madness.

What the New Cannabis Poll Found

Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1,234 American adults between September 8 and September 10, 2026. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

When participants were asked how dangerous they believe cannabis use is:

• 27 percent said cannabis is not dangerous at all.

• 28 percent said it is not very dangerous.

• 24 percent said it is somewhat dangerous.

• 13 percent said it is very dangerous.

Taken together, 55 percent of respondents do not consider cannabis particularly dangerous, compared with 37 percent who view it as somewhat or very dangerous.

That does not mean most Americans believe cannabis is completely risk-free. It means they increasingly recognize the difference between a substance having potential risks and that substance being dangerous enough to justify arrests, criminal records and federal prohibition.

That distinction matters.

Most Americans Are Also Questioning the “Gateway Drug” Theory

The survey also asked whether respondents believe cannabis use leads people to use more dangerous drugs.

Only 18 percent said this was “very likely,” while 27 percent considered it “somewhat likely.” By comparison, 27 percent said it was “not very likely,” and another 19 percent said it was “not at all likely.” Nine percent were unsure.

In other words, fewer than half of Americans still accept some version of the so-called gateway drug theory.

For decades, prohibitionists used that theory to suggest that trying cannabis would inevitably place a person on a conveyor belt toward progressively more dangerous substances. Human behavior, however, is considerably more complicated than a 1980s anti-drug commercial.

People’s substance-use patterns can be influenced by mental health, trauma, poverty, social environment, genetics, availability and numerous other factors. Reducing that complicated reality to “cannabis made them do it” was always politically convenient, but it was never an adequate basis for public policy.

Cannabis Perceptions Remain Politically Divided

The Rasmussen poll also identified a significant partisan gap.

Half of Republican respondents said cannabis is somewhat or very dangerous, compared with 33 percent of Democrats. Sixty percent of Republicans also considered the gateway theory somewhat or very likely to be true, while 42 percent of Democrats agreed.

Cannabis policy should not be reduced to another partisan culture-war issue. Patients, consumers and families affected by prohibition include Republicans, Democrats, independents and people who would rather avoid politics altogether.

The cannabis plant does not check someone’s voter registration before interacting with their endocannabinoid system.

Lawmakers from every party should be able to support policies based on evidence, personal freedom, public health and the responsible use of government resources.

Public Opinion Has Moved Beyond Prohibition

These findings are part of a much larger shift in how Americans think about cannabis.

Today, most Americans live in a state that permits cannabis for medical purposes, adult use or both. Millions of adults have firsthand experience with regulated cannabis, whether as patients, consumers, caregivers, family members or employees.

That experience makes it increasingly difficult to sustain the old prohibitionist mythology.

People can see that legal cannabis has not caused society to collapse. They can also see the contradictions in a system that allows adults to purchase alcohol while threatening them with criminal penalties for possessing cannabis.

Public opinion does not appear to be moving toward the belief that cannabis has no risks. It is moving toward something far more reasonable: cannabis should be treated honestly and regulated according to its actual risk profile.

That means supporting age restrictions, accurate labeling, product testing, responsible-use education and impaired-driving laws based on evidence. It also means rejecting criminal penalties that cause more harm than the conduct they supposedly prevent.

What This Means for Cannabis Reform in Florida

The national shift in public opinion is especially relevant in Florida, where cannabis policy continues to lag behind the views and lived experiences of many residents.

Florida has a large medical cannabis program, yet adults outside that program can still face legal consequences for possessing the same plant that registered patients lawfully use. Patients also remain affected by federal restrictions involving employment, housing, firearms, travel and other areas of daily life.

If most Americans no longer consider cannabis particularly dangerous, lawmakers should be asked a simple question: Why should responsible adults continue to be arrested or punished for it?

Florida’s cannabis laws should be grounded in evidence rather than stigma. That includes protecting patients, ending unnecessary possession arrests, expanding research and creating a responsibly regulated adult-use system.

Continuing prohibition simply because “that is how we have always done it” is not public policy. It is political inertia.

Cannabis Is Not Harmless—But Prohibition Is Not Harmless Either

Honest cannabis advocacy does not require pretending the plant is appropriate for everyone.

Cannabis may present greater risks for adolescents, pregnant individuals, people with certain mental-health conditions and anyone operating a vehicle or heavy machinery while impaired. Frequent or high-dose consumption may also cause unwanted effects for some people.

Those realities support education and regulation. They do not justify criminalization.

Arrest, incarceration, loss of employment, family separation and a permanent criminal record also carry serious health and social consequences. Any honest evaluation of cannabis policy must consider the harm created by prohibition itself.

The real question is not whether cannabis is entirely harmless. Almost nothing is. The question is whether its risks justify treating consumers like criminals.

Most Americans increasingly appear to believe the answer is no.

The Public Is Ready for Evidence-Based Cannabis Laws

This latest poll confirms what cannabis reform advocates have observed for years: the public conversation has changed.

Americans are replacing fear with familiarity and propaganda with personal experience. They increasingly understand that cannabis carries potential risks but is not the uniquely dangerous substance prohibitionists spent decades portraying it as.

Now the law needs to catch up.

Suncoast NORML thanks National NORML for its original reporting and its continued leadership in reforming America’s marijuana laws. Readers can visit NORML.org for additional cannabis research, policy updates and opportunities to support reform nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do most Americans believe cannabis is dangerous?

No. The September 2026 Rasmussen Reports poll found that 55 percent of American adults believe cannabis is either not very dangerous or not dangerous at all. Thirty-seven percent consider it somewhat or very dangerous.

How many people were included in the cannabis poll?

The survey included 1,234 American adults and was conducted from September 8 through September 10, 2026. Its reported margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.

Do Americans still believe cannabis is a gateway drug?

Opinions remain divided, but fewer than half of respondents said cannabis was somewhat or very likely to lead to more dangerous drugs. Forty-six percent considered that outcome not very likely or not at all likely.

Does this mean cannabis has no health risks?

No. Cannabis can carry risks, particularly for adolescents, certain vulnerable populations and people who drive while impaired. The poll shows that most Americans do not consider those risks severe enough to classify cannabis as particularly dangerous.

Why does this poll matter for cannabis legalization?

Public perceptions of cannabis risk influence elections, legislation and criminal-justice policy. Declining perceptions of danger weaken one of the central arguments historically used to defend cannabis prohibition.