Latinos Support Marijuana Legalization but Show More Conservative Views on Its Use, Survey Finds

Same as most of the United States, the vast majority of Latinos in the country believe Marijuana should be legalized in the country.

However, they are the least liberal demographic when it comes to their stances, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.

Concretely, Latinos are the group with the most respondents who said marijuana should not be legal under any circumstance, with 16%. The figure contrasts with 7% of Blacks and 10% of Whites who gave the same answer.

Moreover, 45% said it should be legal for both medical and recreational use. It's the lowest proportion of all demographics along with Asian-Americans, and much lower than Black and White respondents (65 and 59%, respectively). The remaining 39% of Latinos said it should only be legal for medical use.

Few groups gave more conservative answers overall: they were those aged over 65, Republicans or those who lean Republican and conservatives. All other age and political groups were more liberal than Latinos in their stances regarding marijuana use.

Latinos were also the group most likely to agree withthe premise that legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes can increase the use of other, harder drugs like heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. 39% of respondents gave an affirmative answer, compared to 18% of Blacks and 28% of Whites. 30% said it decreases the use of such drugs while the remaining 29% said it has no impact.

Asked about the impact in other areas, 51% of Latinos said legalizing recreational marijuana would be good for local economies, a similar proportion to the other ethnic groups consulted. In this case, Asians were less likely to agree, with 46% doing so.

Moreover, 39% of Latinos said this decision would make the criminal justice system more fair, 34% said it wouldn't have an impact and the rest (24%) said it would make it less fair.

In contrast with other questions, Latinos were the most likely to say that legalizing recreational marijuana use would make communities more safe, with 26% saying so. However, they were also the second most likely to say it would make them less safe, with 41% giving this answer and illustrating contrasting opinions within the demographic.

The use and possession of marijuana is illegal under U.S. federal law. Nevertheless, in recent years, a growing number of states have legalized the drug for medical or recreational purposes.

Another study by the Centers for Disease Control showed that Many teenagers in the United States are using drugs to deal with stress and anxiety.

Among the key findings, 60% of those surveyed indicated substance use in the past 30 days, with marijuana being the most commonly reported substance (84%), followed by alcohol (49%).

Adolescents' motivations for substance use were diverse, with the most common reasons being to feel mellow, calm, or relaxed (73%). The answer comes amid a mental health crisis at a national level, with people from this demographic usually showing higher prevalence.

The study emphasizes the potential impact of mental health on substance use, with motivations related to alleviating depression or anxiety being reported by 40% of adolescents. It underscores the importance of addressing mental health concerns to potentially reduce substance use among adolescents.