Most District of Columbia residents want pot legalization

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Sixty-three percent of District of Columbia residents favor legalization of marijuana, up from an even split four years ago, a Washington Post poll indicates.

Residents in every age, race and ethnicity showed a double-digit increase in support for the legalization of pot, the newspaper reported Wednesday.

Among those who oppose legalization, nearly half want to relax the punishment for marijuana possession to a fine of $100 or less.

D.C. lawmakers Wednesday advanced a bill to reduce the punishment for possession from $1,000 and six months in jail down to a $25 civil fine, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found voters across the nation nearly evenly split with 49 percent in favor of legalization and 48 percent opposed.

A random sample of 1,011 adults was interviewed for the Washington Post-ABC News poll Jan. 8-12. The margin of error was 3.5 percent.