Poll Finds Less Than Half of California Voters Support Legalizing Marijuana

A new poll finds 46 percent of California voters say they favor legalization of marijuana for general or recreational use by adults. Eighty percent support doctor-recommended use for severe illness, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Among voters who said they opposed legalizing marijuana, 42 percent said they felt strongly about it, while 33 percent of those who support legalization have strong feelings about the issue.

Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California, told the newspaper the poll suggests voters are concerned about the way the state’s Compassionate Use Act, which allows medical marijuana, has been carried out. “They like the idea of providing marijuana for medical use, but they’re worried that the law is being abused,” he said.

Opinions have not changed significantly since the state’s voters defeated a legalization measure in 2010, the article notes. Californians appear to be less supportive of legalization than the country as a whole. A Gallup poll released in October found half of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, up from 46 percent last year. Among adults under age 30 and those who identified themselves as liberal, support of legalization was more than 60 percent. In contrast, 31 percent of Americans over age 65 said they support legalization of marijuana.