Seven in 10 American voters want to see the end of federal marijuana prohibition—and nearly half say they’d view the Trump administration more favorably if it took action on the issue—according to a new poll.

The survey, commissioned by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR) and conducted by the firm Forbes Tate Partners, asked a series of questions to gauge public opinion about cannabis policy issues.

It found that 70 percent of respondents said they back “reforming federal cannabis law, thus ending the federal prohibition on cannabis for adult-use,” and 69 percent said they support “allowing individual states to decide whether cannabis will be legal in their state.”

The poll also provided additional data on the political advantage for lawmakers and officials who embrace reform. Nearly half of voters (48 percent) said they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who backs cannabis policy changes at the federal level, while just 15 percent said they’d be less likely and 26 percent said it depends on the politician’s stance on other issues.

About 45 percent said they would view the Trump administration “much more” or “somewhat more” favorably if the White House acted on reform. This comes as an administrative marijuana rescheduling process initiated under former President Joe Biden has stalled.

Pollsters also collected data on the reasons why people would view the administration agenda more favorably in the case that it backs reform. Respondents gave a variety of responses, including the prevailing sentiment that they’d feel “the Trump administration was actually paying attention to what the states want to do.”

Other reasons include: 

• “Because I agree with that policy, whereas I don’t agree with much of anything he is doing currently.”
• “It provides more jobs, revenue, and health benefits for Americans.”
• “It would be easier for law enforcement officers and governments to do their work.”
• “Because he is doing the right thing for the American people. Letting them decide and be in control.”

The survey also asked about a specific piece of legislation—the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act—which would end federal marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized it, while providing for a basic federal regulatory framework for cannabis products.

It found that 61 percent of Americans are in favor of that specific proposal, with just 27 percent opposed.

“This is not about expanding federal power—it’s about limiting it,” Shanita Penny, executive director of CPEAR, said in a press release. “The STATES 2.0 Act respects the will of voters, reinforces states’ rights, and ensures law enforcement can focus on real public safety threats—not outdated cannabis laws. It’s time for Congress and the administration to act on a policy the American people clearly support.”

The survey from CPEAR, whose membership includes large tobacco and alcohol companies, concluded by saying the findings “make one thing clear: voters across the political spectrum continue to support commonsense cannabis reforms that respect state decisions, enhance public safety, and reflect evolving attitudes.”

“The STATES 2.0 Act offers a pragmatic path forward—balancing individual liberty with responsible regulation,” it said. “As the national conversation around cannabis policy progresses, lawmakers have a clear mandate from the public to modernize federal law in a way that empowers states and protects communities.”

The survey involved interviews with 2,051 registered voters aged 21 or older from May 13-19.

Last year, CPEAR released a separate poll focused on voters in Missouri, Ohio and Wyoming that found a strong majority—including more than 60 percent of Republicans—support congressional legislation to protect states’ rights to set their own marijuana laws.

Relatedly, a poll released this week that Marijuana Moment partnered on with the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD showed that a majority of marijuana consumers disapprove of the Trump administration’s actions on cannabis policy to date, but there’s also a significant willingness among users to shift their position if the federal government opts to reschedule or legalize marijuana.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, a firm associated with Trump—Fabrizio, Lee & Associates—also polled Americans on a series of broader marijuana policy issues. Notably, it found that a majority of Republicans back cannabis rescheduling—and, notably, they’re even more supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal interference compared to the average voter.

That same firm released a poll this week finding that Texas Democratic and Republican voters are unified in their opposition to a bill on the governor’s desk that would ban consumable hemp products with any trace of THC.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing scrutiny from advocates who had hoped to see him complete the cannabis rescheduling process. While Trump endorsed the proposal—as well as industry banking access and a Florida legalization ballot initiative, on the campaign trail last year—he’s since been publicly silent on the issue.

As part of his latest budget request, the president also again proposed to remove existing protections for states that have legalized medical marijuana, while maintaining a ban that’s prevented Washington, D.C. from enacting a system of regulated adult-use cannabis sales.

Last month, a Senate committee advanced the confirmation of Terrance Cole to become the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) amid the ongoing review of a marijuana rescheduling proposal that he’s refused to commit to enacting.

Cole—who has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth—said he would “give the matter careful consideration after consulting with appropriate personnel within the Drug Enforcement Administration, familiarizing myself with the current status of the regulatory process, and reviewing all relevant information.”

However, during an in-person hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in April, he said examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first priorities” if he was confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.

Separately in April, an activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”

A marijuana industry-backed political action committee (PAC) has also released a series of ads over recent months that have attacked Biden’s cannabis policy record as well as the nation of Canada, promoting sometimes misleading claims about the last administration while making the case that Trump can deliver on reform.

Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his DEA of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.

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There’s somehow a second Bigfoot and marijuana news story coming out of Michigan in the span of a single month, with controversy swirling around a 14-foot Sasquatch statue outside of a cannabis store that some say sends the wrong message to children.

Previously, an alleged Bigfoot sighting in Monroe County last month sparked some creativity within the marijuana community when, earlier this month, the dispensary Uniq Cannabis started offering a free pre-roll to anyone who brought in photographic proof of the mythological creature.

Now, a Sasquatch statue outside the separate retailer Higher Love, located in Menominee, is at the center of controversy. The exhibit became a talking point at the city planning commission’s meeting this month, where certain community members argued that the faux beast could attract the attention of youth—with one resident advising the panel to “think about what mascots they see in our community and how they are impacting children.”

Karianne Lesperance, executive director of the Healthy Youth Coalition, also sent a letter to the commission that some students have “expressed concern about how these efforts may be normalizing use or influencing young people.”

Joni Moore, president of Higher Love, shared a different perspective.

“I would be in opposition to that,” she told The Eagle Herald. “This is not a cartoon character. Our Sasquatch that’s in front of the store is a little bit scary, so I don’t see how that’s targeting children at all.”

“Everybody loves Sasquatch,” she said. “And people in especially forested areas seem to identify with Sasquatch. He is an adventurous character and it’s really just Higher Love trying to have some fun.”

“Every time I go to a public meeting, there’s always a hater in the audience who just doesn’t like cannabis. That’s fine. People are entitled to their opinions. It just brings a little whimsy to a community and I think it’s all positive. I don’t see any problems at all.”

Michael Scholle, the code and zoning officer in Menominee, said he spoke with City Attorney Michael Celello and was advised that the Bigfoot statue doesn’t violate local laws on signage.

Beyond standing up Bigfoot statues or offering deals for evidence of a mythological creature, marijuana companies have sought to gain publicity in a number of creative ways.

For example, Rolling Derby, a group founded by a group of cannabis industry veterans, announced last month that they have organized a series of “speed-rolling” tournaments, where adults 21 and older can compete against each other virtually or in person to see who can successfully fashion a joint the fastest.

Late last year, Toker’s Guide—which offers an online directory of dispensaries in several jurisdictions—listed series of job listings seeking experienced cannabis consumers in states across the U.S. to sample and review marijuana products.

Also last year, the rolling paper company DaySavers announced they’d pay $4.20 to volunteers willing to smoke two free pre-rolled joints and provide feedback on their smokability.

DaySavers separately launched a campaign last March to hire for what it calls the “ultimate stoner dream job,” seeking a content creator to “get paid to smoke weed.” The full-time social media creator and event marketer job pays $70,420 with perks including cannabis product testing and all expenses paid travel to marijuana events.

Some other high-profile clients have also offered to pay people for rolling joints–for example Snoop Dogg, who said several years ago that he pays someone $40,000 to $50,000 per year to have blunts readily available.

Meanwhile, although it won’t feature a speed-rolling tournament, the California State Fair will once again feature a cannabis exhibit and competition at this year’s event, with expanded award categories meant to showcase the diversity of the state’s market.

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The governor of Texas “wants to legalize recreational marijuana,” the second highest official in the state said following the veto of a bill that would’ve banned hemp products containing THC—while implying that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) lied about his motivations for blocking the prohibition and recommending an alternative regulatory framework instead.

In a somewhat surprising rebuke of Abbott, the lieutenant governor held a press briefing on Monday where he sharply criticized his counterpart over the veto and related proclamation where he put forward various recommendations for regulating hemp. At several points, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) explicitly accused the governor of wanting to legalize adult-use cannabis because he rejected the hemp legislation.

“It puzzles me why my friend Greg Abbott—Governor Abbott—would at the last minute, at about 22 minutes after [11:00PM CT], decided to veto this bill,” the lieutenant governor said, referring to the midnight deadline for the governor to act on the bill on Sunday. “I know he gave the reasons in his proclamation, but our team simply doesn’t agree with those reasons.”

“One can only come to this conclusion, which surprises me: The governor of the state of Texas wants to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas,” he said. “That’s the headline, folks. Because that’s what his proclamation does now—whether it’s unintentional and he didn’t think through it, or whether it’s intentional—that’s the result of the veto.”

“Again, what Governor Abbott proposes is for us to legalize marijuana in Texas by regulating it,” Patrick said.

Taking questions from reporters, the lieutenant governor expressly challenged the governor to “put out a statement that you do not want to legalize marijuana for adults in the state of Texas, because that’s what either by default you’re doing or on purpose you’re doing.”

He also challenged the underlying legal argument Abbott described in his veto message, explaining that the federal law that legalized hemp provides that states can take steps to enact more restrictive regulations and he disputed the governor’s position that the law would ultimately be nullified in court due to litigation.

“Since when did we care who sued us when we passed a bill?” he said.

“What the federal law says is we can ban it. The only thing we can’t do is stop transportation through the state. You know, he actually mentions that in his proclamation,” Patrick said. “He mentions that one of the problems with this bill is about stopping transportation—but he didn’t write the entire sentence. He’s a lawyer, not me. It says you can’t pass a bill to ban transportation through a state.”

“That’s not what he wrote [about the state’s medical marijuana] program,” he said, referring to separate legislation to expand the state’s medical cannabis law that Abbott approved over the weekend. “He signed that bill. That’s worthless now.”

“What puzzled me was, the last time I talked to the governor in the Capitol before session, he said, ‘Don’t worry about the bill.’ He said, ‘Your bill is fine.’ That’s what he told me in front of witnesses,” the lieutenant governor said. “In fact, he asked a couple of lawyers on my staff—he said, ‘Can you give me some answers I can give because, when I sign this, I need some answers to give.’ So what happened? Who convinced him? On the staff, on the outside, to kill Senate Bill 3?”

It should be noted that, while the lieutenant governor is evidently irate over the veto and leveling accusations that Abbott is tacitly endorsing adult-use legalization, the governor had made clear he opposes that reform—and he’s even pushed back against local efforts to simply decriminalize cannabis for adults.

In his veto message, the governor did say that, rather than outright ban consumable hemp products, lawmakers should establish a regulatory framework that treats cannabinoids “similar to the way alcohol is regulated.”

Abbott proposed an extensive list of policy changes that he says he would support—and which the legislature will have the chance to enact during a special session the governor is convening next month.

“Legislators could consider a structure similar to the way alcohol is regulated, with strict enforcement by an agency like the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission,” he said, adding a list of recommended policies he wants to see lawmakers adopt that include age restrictions, zoning requirements and bans on public consumption.

Abbott on Sunday called a special session of a legislature to begin on July 21, saying in a press release that SB 3 and other vetoed bills would be placed on the agenda for further consideration.

Hemp advocates and stakeholders had delivered more than 100,000 petition signatures asking Abbott to veto the measure. Critics of the bill argued that the industry—which employs an estimated 53,000 people—would be decimated if the measure became law.

Texas lawmakers legalized the sale of consumable hemp in 2019, following enactment of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized the plant nationwide. That’s led to an explosion of products—including edibles, drinks, vape products and cured flower—sold by an estimated 8,000 retailers.

Military veterans advocates, including Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, have also called on the governor to veto the hemp ban, saying it “would cause irreversible harm to communities across the state.”

Farmers have also said the prohibition would devastate a key sector of the state’s agriculture industry.

Meanwhile, a recent survey from a GOP pollster affiliated with President Donald Trump showed that Texas Democratic and Republican voters are unified in their opposition to the hemp ban bill.

Another poll commissioned the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) found that Texas Republican primary voters oppose the proposal.

On Saturday, the governor signed bill to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program with new qualifying conditions additional product forms and more dispensary locations.

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Abbott separately signed a bill into law this month to create a state-backed research consortium to conduct clinical trials on ibogaine as a possible treatment for substance use disorders and other mental health conditions. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop the psychedelic into a prescription drug with federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, with the state retaining a portion of the profit.

The measure expands the state’s list of medical cannabis qualifying conditions to include chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, while also allowing end-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care to use marijuana.

Separately in Texas, a House committee approved a Senate-passed bill last month that would prohibit cities from putting any citizen initiative on local ballots that would decriminalize marijuana or other controlled substances—as several localities have already done despite lawsuits from the state attorney general.

Under the proposal, state law would be amended to say that local entities “may not place an item on a ballot, including a municipal charter or charter amendment, that would provide that the local entity will not fully enforce” state drug laws.

While several courts have previously upheld local cannabis decriminalization laws, an appellate court comprised of three conservative justices appointed by the governor has recently pushed back against two of those rulings, siding with the state in its legal challenge to the marijuana policy in Austin and San Marcos.

Despite the ongoing litigation and advancement of the House and Senate bills, Texas activists have their targets set on yet another city, Kyle, where they hope put an initiative before voters to enact local marijuana reform at the ballot this coming November.

A recent poll found that four in five Texas voters want to see marijuana legalized in some form, and most also want to see regulations around cannabis relaxed.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.