A majority of California Latinos support the reduction of harsh drug sentences, according to a new poll. 

According to a poll released Tuesday by Latino Decisions, 7 in 10 Latinos in California believe penalties for drug possession should be reduced. The majority of those surveyed in the poll, which questioned 400 Latino voters living in California, do not agree with incarcerating nonviolent drug users, which has drastically added to the country's high incarceration level. 

According to The Huffington Post, the poll was commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonpartisan group that supports the modification of current drug laws, and Latino advocacy group Presente.org. 

"Latinos are really fed up with the war on drugs, which has really become a war on Latino families," said Arturo Carmona, executive director of Presente.org. "Despite using no more drugs than their white counterparts, Latinos and African-Americans are imprisoned at record rates, tearing apart families and leaving entire communities impoverished."

Sixty-nine percent of respondents agreed that California should reduce penalties for drug possession, but still believe that drug dealers should be held accountable for their crimes. A majority of young Latinos believe drug penalties should be reduced, with 74 percent of voters aged 18 to 39 supporting a reform of drug penalties, compared to 59 percent of 40 to 59-year-olds. 

A more surprising finding is that 72 percent of survey participants over 60 years old favored minimizing sentences for drug possession. 

Eighty-two percent of respondents also said the racial disparity in terms of drug convictions is a serious problem. Ninety-four percent of Latino Democrats are concerned about the racial inequity, compared to 57 percent of Republicans. 

Only 16 percent of those surveyed favored a zero tolerance approach to drug enforcement, with more favoring drug treatment or penalizing individuals according to specific cases. 

"What is clear from our survey is that California laws that decriminalize drug possession will receive enthusiastic support from the Latino electorate," Adrian Pantoja of Latino Decisions wrote Tuesday.

According to Human Rights Watch, people of color are more likely to face jail time for drug offenses, with black and Hispanic males receiving tougher drug sentences than whites. 

And while Latinos only account for 39 percent of California's population, Latinos make up 45 percent of California's prison population. 

Hispanics are also under a greater threat of incarceration due to a surge in prosecutions for immigration-related crimes. Additionally, Hispanics are facing a greater threat of deportation due to drug related crimes; 41,000 people with drug crimes on their records have been deported since 2008.