Two in Three Americans Support Legal Home Cannabis Cultivation, The Harris Poll Finds

LOS ANGELES – A new national survey shows that a clear majority of U.S. adults support the right to grow Cannabis at home, even as many Cannabis users express concerns about pesticides in store-bought products. The poll, conducted on behalf of Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) found that 61% of Americans aged 21-plus favor legalizing personal cultivation. That level of support exceeds the 43% of adults who report having consumed Cannabis at all.

The online poll, fielded March 17-19 among 2,017 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points, also captured sharp safety concerns among those who use Cannabis. Seventy-two percent of cannabis consumers described themselves as very worried about pesticides in the products they buy. Two-thirds said they would pick Cannabis grown without pesticides over higher-potency options that rely on agrochemicals. And 65% reported that recent news coverage of contaminated batches has pushed them toward the idea of growing their own supply.

These numbers arrive against a backdrop of actual product recalls. Early 2026 saw multiple enforcement actions in Colorado over banned pesticides such as chlorfenapyr in flower and concentrates sold at dozens of dispensaries. Such episodes illustrate the practical risks that consumers appear to be weighing.

The survey, the third annual home-grow study commissioned by the seed company, also turned up other consumer preferences:

• 76% of Cannabis users said they prefer the effects of Cannabis to those of alcohol.
• 39% of all adults [and 68% of users] reported they would feel more impressed by someone bringing home-grown Cannabis to a social gathering than by an expensive bottle of wine.
• Cannabis consumption itself has edged higher: 43% of adults now say they use it, up from 39% in the prior year’s poll.

Shai Ramsahai, president of RQS, noted in the company’s release that buyers have grown more deliberate. “People want Cannabis they can trust,” he said, “and many are turning to home cultivation to take control over quality and safety.”

Legal home cultivation remains restricted or banned outright in many states, even where adult-use sales are permitted. The poll does not break out results by state, but national backing at 61% suggests a gap between public opinion and current statutes in parts of the country. Support ran highest in the South and West according to the detailed breakdown released by the sponsor.

From an industry standpoint, the data points to a consumer base that values verifiable cleanliness at least as much as raw potency. Regulated markets have invested heavily in testing protocols, yet repeated headlines about failed batches appear to erode confidence for a sizable share of users. At the same time, the 15% of consumers who already grow at home, up from earlier years in prior RQS surveys, signals that a portion of the market has already acted on those doubts.