Politics
State Marijuana Measures Poised To Pass, Polls Show
Voters in a number of states will have the opportunity to decide on marijuana ballot initiatives this year, and a series of new polls indicates that most if not all of the measures are poised to pass.
Michigan activists are awaiting state certification of signatures they collected to place a marijuana legalization question before voters in November. A survey last week found that 57 percent of the state’s likely voters support the measure.
In Utah, where advocates are on track to qualify a medical cannabis measure for the November ballot, a poll last week found that 76 percent of the state’s voters support the measure. The result is consistent with earlier surveys, from July and October, which also showed supermajority support medical marijuana. Utahans across party lines back the measure, with majorities of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters in favor.
Oklahoma voters will see a medical cannabis measure on their June 26 primary ballot. This month, a poll determined that 62 percent of likely voters back the proposal.
While it’s certainly early — and pro-reform and opposition campaigns haven’t yet launched in earnest — the polling results should have marijuana activists feeling good about the prospects for increasing the number of states with some form of legal cannabis access this year.
In 2016, eight out of nine statewide ballot measures were approved by voters. Since then, national polling support for marijuana legalization has increased, with Gallup finding in October that 64 percent of Americans now support ending cannabis prohibition.
It is also likely that Missouri voters will decide on at least one medical cannabis measure this year. And a team of entrepreneurs is pushing a full marijuana legalization initiative in Ohio. There hasn’t been any recent cannabis polling in either state.
Photo courtesy of Democracy Chronicles.
