Something once considered taboo is now edging closer to mainstream acceptance—and it's dividing opinions across the country.

A new wave of support is rising, backed by surprising data and strong voices on both sides of the debate.

So what’s changed—and why are more Australians starting to reconsider what was once off-limits?

Public opinion on cannabis has shifted dramatically in recent years, and the numbers don’t lie. Once considered taboo, marijuana is now at the centre of a national conversation—one that continues to stir strong views across the country.

A recent Roy Morgan survey revealed that 48 per cent of Australians supported the legalisation of cannabis, a sharp increase of 15 percentage points over the past decade.

Out of the 70,000 people surveyed, nearly half said they believed marijuana should be made legal nationwide.

Public support for cannabis legalisation hits 48 per cent. Image source: Pexels/Alexander Grey

At present, medicinal cannabis remains tightly regulated, available only by prescription in all states and territories except the ACT. The ACT went a step further in 2020, legalising not only use but also the sale of marijuana.

Interestingly, the push for reform appeared to have stronger support among certain groups. Men were slightly more in favour than women, with 51 per cent backing legalisation compared to 45 per cent of women.

Australians aged 18 to 49 were the most supportive demographic, while the 35 to 49 bracket showed 51 per cent in favour.

The highest levels of support came from the Northern Territory and the ACT, where 57 and 56 per cent of respondents respectively backed legalisation. Meanwhile, 41 per cent of those surveyed still believed marijuana should remain illegal in Australia.

‘With nearly half of Australians now in favour, the national mood has shifted significantly over the past decade,’ Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said.

Although younger adults led the charge for change, there remained notable opposition—particularly among teenagers and older Australians.

The Legalise Cannabis Party said the results were no surprise.

‘According to the latest National Drug Strategy Household survey, 80 per cent of the population believe that possession of cannabis should not be a criminal offence,’ campaign manager Suzette Luyken shared.

‘The party believes that a staged implementation is the best way to achieve acceptance.

‘People should be free to grow their own cannabis and not be forced to be reliant on expensive, unregulated, imported products when it comes to their physical and mental wellbeing.’

Despite the growing public support, not everyone agreed that legalisation was the right path. In 2023, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) submitted a formal response to a Senate inquiry, voicing its opposition to a bill that proposed legalising cannabis.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said: ‘Legalising cannabis for recreational purposes sends the wrong signal to the public, and especially to young Australians, that cannabis use is not harmful.’

‘We see poor mental health outcomes from cannabis use including anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, memory loss and an increased incidence of schizophrenia.

‘Cannabis use can lead to physical ill-health conditions such as bronchitis or cancer, cardiovascular system damage, and impaired reaction time and brain function.’

While many acknowledged the drug’s potential benefits—such as its role in easing nausea and managing chronic pain—experts warned that marijuana use could also cause lung damage and cognitive decline.

AMA and Drug Free Australia have been contacted for further comment.

For a deeper dive, check out this insightful clip where a senator challenges outdated cannabis laws—it's a conversation many older Aussies are now part of too.

How does hearing this wider perspective change your view? Jump into the discussion below—we’d love to hear from you!

Could legalising cannabis really boost the budget? Here's what one party claims it could mean for everyday Australians.

Watch the clip now.

Source: Youtube/ABC News (Australia)​

Key Takeaways

• Support for legalising cannabis in Australia has grown, with 48 per cent of 70,000 surveyed now in favour.
• The strongest backing came from men, younger adults, and residents of the Northern Territory and ACT.
• The Legalise Cannabis Party welcomed the shift, calling for a phased rollout and home-growing rights.
• The AMA opposed legalisation, warning of mental and physical health risks tied to cannabis use.

As more Australians warm to the idea of legal cannabis, it's clear the conversation is far from over—especially for those who've seen the country shift over decades.

Have your views on marijuana changed over the years, or do you still feel the same? Tell us what you think in the comments.

In an earlier story, we looked at how soaring cigarette costs are nudging older Australians towards cannabis as an alternative.

With many seniors finding themselves reassessing long-held habits, the growing support for legalisation now offers another layer to that ongoing shift.

Read more: Are rising cigarette prices driving older Aussies to try cannabis?

 

[Littleboy8]

Experienced the effects of weed on my ex-defective - he ended up totally schizophrenic and irrational. I had a fractured jaw to prove it - b--tard! Keep it illegal and for God's sake, take a pro-active approach to enacting this law - not ignore it as they do now. Nobody gets charged anymore for marijuana, cocaine, ice etc. it is just the norm out there!

Yep I can relate to what you went through with second husband and drinking alcohol with it doesn’t help.

 

[Gezzabel]

Good on you for speaking up. You hear stories like this about personality change, and violence from the most unlikely people. Maybe a coffee shop where they can sell their it legally . The place would stink. As I said,if you have a medical done, and they check for marijuana in your system, for my husband’s staff, it’s a sackable offence, because of the legal risk of having it it in your system for months. That’s apparently why a lot of young people use coccaine/ice, because it’s out of your system 24 hours later. Marijuana lurks for 6 months since last used. Try to figure that one out??? Gezzabel.

 

[7777]

Absolutely! Back when Gillard started fiddling w Cigarette packaging and the prices vastly increased ( thanks LABOR), a lot of ppl said that by making ‘smokes’ too expensive to buy would sent the use of marijuana skyrocketing.
We were sooo right.
The thing is that w cigarettes you are not so brain fuddled that you smash into children on a footpath - but on Marijuana, Psychosis, Schizophrenia and other previously hidden or unactivated illnesses can bloom and flourish.
Cigarettes, Vapes, Smoking Pot, taking idiot pills so by a creep in a pub will and can all kill you.
Human bodies contain cancer cells - it is unlucky if yours activate into “having cancer”.
Pot, illicit drugs, and Vapes in any form will kill you faster than smoking cigarettes.
The bloody government will always take the easiest and most profitable way for them - they chose tobacco.
They ignored the fact that by the yr 2000, the majority of cigarettes had filters.
All through both world wars there were few filters used in cigarettes - that was a big cancer reason.

Now they push being healthy so hard that we have ppl dying through taking excessive amounts of Vitamins and ProteinPowders to have the healthy body. Ppl immobilised with severe nerve damage from excess Vit B6, or D.
Ppl have ended up in wheelchairs through excessive vitamin use - to be healthy.

Regardless of what is banned, humans will always take something to excess - it is what they do best - greed + stupidity.

If any government here had a brain, Domestic Science would be taught from age 11-12 as a regular mandatory subject. This would prepare and inform all children for so much more in life instead of speaking Chinese or playing violin.
Domestic Science taught all about the body, vitamin and mineral used, good foods, do a budget, how to survive.

Dear member BabsL, thankyou for posting your very valuable and informative post. There is so much we can learn here. And yes, Domestic Science taught at an earlier age at school, is far more beneficial to one health, than as you say speaking Chinese or playing the violin. Its almost as though the government allows our youth to complete their schooling, without knowledge of healthy survival skills and choices, therefore more chance of people becoming ill, and then requiring medical intervention. This then gives vast employment to all people working in the field of medicine and health and wellbing. God bless,