Politics | marijuana Poll: If State Legalizes Pot, Feds Should Be Cool With It But Americans still split on legalization itself By Evann Gastaldo Posted Dec 6, 2012 12:47 PM CST Copied Gary Parrish smokes marijuana in a glass pipe, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, just after midnight at the Space Needle in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) It's now legal to smoke pot while watching a Lord of the Rings marathon in Washington state, but questions persist over how the pot-prohibiting federal government should react. A new USA Today/Gallup poll clarifies how Americans feel about two of the biggies: Respondents remain split on the issue of legalization itself, with 50% of respondents against it and 48% for it. But once a state does legalize it, the feds should stay out of it, according to 64% of respondents. Just 34% said the federal government should still take steps to enforce its laws. Read These Next New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Report an error