Marijuana Legislation: Most Americans Think US Spends Too Much Enforcing Marijuana Laws [Charts]

Attorney General Eric Holder promised Monday that federal law enforcement will ease up on low-level, nonviolent drug offenders without ties to organized crime. He said he had ordered federal prosecutors not to seek long sentences for minor drug crimes.

“Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason,” said Holder, in a speech in San Francisco.

As it turns out, most Americans agree, at least where pot is concerned. Three in four U.S. residents say the money and effort spent to enforce marijuana laws just isn’t worth it, according to a Pew Research Center report released earlier this year.

While the survey shows partisan differences over whether smoking marijuana is moral or not, this isn’t the case when it comes to the enforcement of marijuana laws. Most people think going after offenders is not of much benefit to society.

While older Americans are still much less likely to support the legalization of marijuana, overall attitudes towards marijuana, regardless of age group, have softened.

Here’s an infographic with more insights:

Here is an interactive map that charts out where every American state currently stands on the marijuana use. Click on any state for details. Refer to the key provided below the map.