A new poll shows that a strong majority of North Carolina adults support legalizing marijuana—both for recreational and medical purposes—including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
The new poll released on Friday, conducted by SurveyUSA for WRAL and WSOC, found that 63 percent of respondents want to legalize recreational marijuana. Twenty-six percent said adult-use cannabis should remain against the law and another 11 percent said they are not sure.
The is majority support for broad recreational marijuana legalization across party lines, with 73 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of independents on board. There is also backing for the reform across all age groups, except for people over 65, who are spilt 42 percent to 42 percent.
“Opposition to legalization does not exceed 44% and does not outweigh support for legalization among any demographic subgroup,” the polling memo says.
Meanwhile, a separate question in the survey shows that there is even stronger support in the state for medical cannabis. Seventy-four percent said it should be legalized, 15 percent said it should stay prohibited and 11 percent said they aren’t sure.
Like with recreational legalization, medical use enjoys support across partisan lines, with 83 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of independents favoring the reform. The more limited reform is supported by respondents of all ages, including those over 65.
“Majorities in all parts of the state and among all demographic subgroups favor legalization of medical marijuana,” SurveyUSA’s analysis says.
Ken Alper, the president of SurveyUSA, said that North Carolina voters have seen how “society hasn’t collapsed” in other states that have legalized marijuana and are “much more comfortable with it than they would have been 10 or 20 years ago.”
A separate poll released last month by Elon University similarly showed that North Carolinians support legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, and that they also want to keep THC-infused hemp products like seltzers and gummies legal in the state.
The latest survey involved interview with 900 North Carolina adults between October 7 and 11.
The results of the latest poll come as a North Carolina government commission that was appointed by the governor is preparing to issue recommendations on how the state should transition from broad cannabis prohibition to a system of regulations.
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, which Gov. Josh Stein (D) convened last year, has been holding an ongoing series of meetings, including via subcommittees focused on specific aspects of marijuana reform.
The body’s Market and Regulatory Subcommittee recently discussed the possibility of a model where the “state exclusively controls the retail channel while private businesses remain responsible for cultivation, manufacturing/processing, and wholesale distribution.”
Meanwhile, the governor is continuing to pressure the GOP-controlled legislature for marijuana reform.
In August, Stein called on lawmakers to legalize and regulate cannabis in a way that “protects kids” while lawmakers this week are considering a bill to restrict hemp THC products.
In a social media post he noted that lawmakers are considering legislation that “aims to eliminate the Wild West that is North Carolina’s THC market.”
The governor has repeatedly called on lawmakers to broadly legalize and regulate cannabis, though GOP legislative leaders have been more interested in focusing on the narrower hemp issue.
A bill to restrict hemp and kratom products that was recently approved by the Senate now awaits potential action in the House.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in North Carolina have been considering legislation to legalize medical cannabis for the last several sessions—with the Senate approving several proposals and the House refusing to follow suit.
North Carolina’s Senate president pro tempore recently said that lawmakers will take a more serious look at legalizing medical marijuana following the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.
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The governor-appointed cannabis commission in North Carolina issued a report in April initially recommending that the state move away from a criminalization-based approach to the plant and toward a system of “robust” regulations that provide for adults’ legal access to THC products.
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, which Stein convened last year, said that the current “absence of regulation for North Carolina’s intoxicating cannabis market raises numerous concerns,” noting that hemp products are readily available yet largely unregulated and that marijuana remains prohibited altogether in the state, even for medical use.
“Compared to regulated marijuana frameworks in other states, this environment presents identifiable risks,” the interim report says. “While some operators voluntarily implement consumer protection protocols, these safeguards are not required under state law.”
Stein, for his part, thanked the group for its “expertise, hard work, and thoughtful deliberation” in a press release and reiterated his support for legalizing marijuana.
Members are tasked with developing and submitting initial recommendations on a “comprehensive cannabis policy, including any proposed legislation,” with a final report due by December 31 of this year.
During his time as the state’s attorney general, Stein led a separate task force under then-Gov. Roy Cooper (D) that examined racial injustice issues and ultimately recommended decriminalizing marijuana and studying broader legalization in response to racially disparate enforcement trends.
A tribe in North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, launched the state’s first marijuana dispensary in 2024—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers.
Democratic lawmakers recently filed legislation to allow voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana for personal or medical use at the ballot box this November—though Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R) said the bill is unlikely to advance.
Meanwhile, bipartisan North Carolina lawmakers have been stepping up the push for psychedelics reform legislation.
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