Poll: Majority Of Voters Back Ohio Marijuana Initiative

Originally published at blog.NORML.org

Fifty-six percent of registered Ohio voters say that they will vote ‘yes’ this November on Issue 3, the Marijuana Legalization Amendment, according to newly released WKYC/Kent State Polling data.

Sixty-seven percent of registered Democrats and 50 percent of Independents told pollsters that they endorse the measure. Sixty-five percent of Republicans oppose it.

Only ten percent of voters remain undecided on the issue. The WKYC/Kent State poll possesses a +/- 4 percent margin of error.

The measure would initially establish 10 state-licensed commercial growing sites and commercially produced cannabis would be sold at over 1,000 proposed retail dispensaries. The measure also permits adults to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis (up to four plants yielding no more than 8 ounces of usable product at any one time) at home.

State lawmakers opposed to the plan have placed a competing measure, Issue 2, on the November 3 ballot that seeks to prohibit state regulators from permitting the limited production of “any Schedule I controlled substance.” If voters approved both measures, Issue 2 states that the “entire proposed constitutional [marijuana] amendment shall not take effect.” According to the WKYC/Kent State poll, 54 percent of registered voters — including 57 percent of those who say that they also support Issue 3 — say that they intend to vote in favor of Issue 2.

Twenty-six percent of Ohio voters are undecided on the measure.

If both competing measure are passed by voters, it will likely be up to the courts to decide which initiative takes precedence.