50% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT LEGALIZING MARIJUANA: POLL

WASHINGTON - An unprecedented 50 percent of Americans think it's high
time that marijuana should become legal in the United States,
according to a Gallup poll released Monday.

That's up from 46 percent from a year ago -- and way up from a mere 12
percent in 1969, when Gallup first asked the question and 84 percent
of respondents opposed to legalization.

"If this current trend on legalizing marijuana continues, pressure may
build to bring the nation's laws into compliance with the people's
wishes," the pollsters said in a statement.

Support for legalization was strongest among liberals (69 percent),
those aged 18 to 29 (62 percent), and those living in the western
United States (55 percent).

Least likely to support legalization were those over 65 (31 percent),
conservatives (34 percent) and southerners (44 percent).

Gallup based its findings on telephone interviews on October 6-9 with
adults in all 50 states. Samples were weighted by gender, age, race,
education and region, with a maximum margin of error of plus or minus
four percent.

On its website, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws (NORML) said: "Marijuana legalization is becoming more popular
with just about everyone."

But it said more political pressure is needed before change can come
about.

Last June, several US members of Congress introduced legislation in
Washington to legalize marijuana nationwide but allow each state to
regulate, tax and control the drug itself.

It was the first-ever effort to legalize the production and
consumption of marijuana at a national level, although its sponsors
acknowledged that it had little chance of becoming law.

"We believe the federal government shouldn't be involved with
prosecuting adults smoking marijuana," said Democratic Congressman
Barney Frank at the time. "We don't have enough prosecutors or police
officers to do so."

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized the
production and consumption of marijuana for medical purposes, while 14
states have decriminalized small amounts for consumption.

"I don't expect to pass it in this Congress," Frank said. "But I think
we're making progress. This is an educational process."

Some 850,000 Americans were arrested in 2009 for marijuana-related
offenses, according to FBI figures. Nine out of 10 of those cases were
for possession.