It's high times for the marijuana legalization movement.

Forty-four percent of Americans favors legalizing marijuana use, the highest level of support since Gallup first asked the question in 1970. From the late 1970s to the late 1990s, only about a quarter of the public supported legalization.

A slim majority of Democrats, as well as half of independents, now favor legalization. Republicans are still saying no. Slightly over a fifth on the right support legalizing marijuana.

Not surprisingly, the West is the most supportive region. A majority of Americans living out West backs an end to the federal prohibition on marijuana use. And half of Americans ages 18 to 49 also agree. By contrast, only 28 percent of seniors support legalizing pot.

To be sure, Gallup's polling shows a slim majority, 54 percent, still oppose legalization. But in the mid 1990s, nearly three in four adults supported prohibition.

Support for legalizing pot has increased most rapidly this decade, 13 percentage points since 2000.

On a related note, the Associated Press reports that the U.S. Justice Department will no longer seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers, providing they are conforming to state laws. That marks a significant shift from Bush era policies, which ignored some state laws and continued to enforce federal marijuana statutes. According to the AP, 14 states currently allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.