Poll: Most want feds to defer to state pot laws

By Elise Viebeck - 12/10/12 05:19 PM ET

Roughly two in three adults say the federal government should not enforce anti-marijuana laws in states where the drug has been legalized, according to a new poll.

Gallup found Monday that 64 percent of U.S. adults believe federal drug officials should ignore pot possession in states such as Washington and Colorado, which recently legalized the drug for recreational use.

Thirty-four percent, meanwhile, said the federal government should enforce laws against pot regardless of states' moves to allow the drug.

The federal Controlled Substances Act prohibits marijuana use, and President Obama has come under fire from liberals and libertarians for cracking down on medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal in some states.

The Justice Department is still weighing legal action in Colorado and Washington, according to reports.

Overall, the U.S. public remains closely divided on the issue of legalizing weed generally. Fifty-percent believe the drug should not be legal, while 48 percent believe it should, according to Gallup.

Support for legalization is strongest among 18- to 29-year-olds (60 percent) and Democrats (61 percent) while opposition is most common among Republicans (66 percent) and the elderly (61 percent).

Unaffiliated voters favor legalization by 3 points, 50 to 47 percent, according to the poll.