Poll: Banning TikTok & Reclassifying Marijuana

This Navigator Research report contains polling data on the latest favorability of TikTok and support for recent legislation banning TikTok, as well as support for legalizing marijuana for recreational use and reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

Vast majorities of Americans support the Biden administration reclassifying marijuana and support legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

Seven in ten Americans support the Biden administration reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug to enable future research into its potential medical uses and benefits (72 percent), with a similar majority supporting legalizing marijuana for recreational use (69 percent). Majorities across party lines support legalization of marijuana, including four in five Democrats (net +62; 79 percent support – 17 percent oppose) and three in five of both Republicans (net +26; 62 percent support – 36 percent oppose) and independents (net +33; 58 percent support – 17 percent oppose). Similarly, reclassification of marijuana has similar cross-partisan support, including 84 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of independents, and 57 percent of Republicans.

• Over seven in ten Americans under the age of 35 support reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug and legalizing marijuana for recreational use (77 percent and 71 percent, respectively).
• More than three in four who view both Biden and Trump unfavorably support reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug (77 percent), and over two in three support legalizing marijuana for recreational use (68 percent).

Americans are split on banning TikTok; younger Americans are against the ban by a two-to-one margin.

While Americans are initially split on whether TikTok should be banned, a plurality becomes supportive once given more context that it would be banned unless sold to a company unaffiliated with the Chinese government, with the increase in support being driven by Democrats. Americans are initially split on banning TikTok in the United States (net -2; 42 percent support – 44 percent oppose), but support grows to a 10-point plurality when given this additional context (49 percent support – 39 percent oppose). Democrats shift significantly in support for banning TikTok once given the context by a net 20 points from an initial plurality opposing the ban (net -7; 38 percent support banning – 45 percent oppose banning) to half becoming supportive (net +13; 50 percent support – 37 percent oppose). Additional context does not have much effect in moving either Republicans (from net +9 to net +11) or independents (from net -17 to net -11).

• Americans overall are unfavorable towards TikTok by a 5-point margin (41 percent favorable – 46 percent unfavorable), though Americans under the age of 35 are favorable towards TikTok by 27 points (59 percent favorable – 32 percent unfavorable). Americans under the age of 35 are against banning TikTok by a near two-to-one margin (net -26; 32 percent support – 58 percent oppose), and providing additional context does little to shift support of banning the app (net -25; 32 percent support banning – 57 percent oppose banning).