From Reefer Madness to medical marijuana: A timeline of weed legalization in America

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans want to legalize pot. It wasn't always that way...

A public smokeout may never be the norm, but America is getting more generous with marijuana.
(Image credit: (Marc Piscotty/Getty Images))

In the 1990s, shortly after then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton claimed he "didn't inhale," only 25 percent of Americans wanted to legalize recreational marijuana. Today, that number has climbed to 58 percent, according to a new Gallup poll that shows a majority of Americans supporting the legalization of weed for the first time in U.S. history.

How did Americans learn to embrace pot? Here is a look at the evolution of marijuana laws and attitudes in the United States.

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.