By Poll Finds Cannabis Policy Is A Voting Issue For Most Consumers
A poll released Tuesday by NuggMD at the request of NORML found that nearly 80% of cannabis consumers say a candidate’s view on cannabis policy will determine whether they will vote for them in November’s midterm elections.
The survey involved interviews with 654 cannabis consumers who live in states with legal markets. It carries a margin of error of +/-3.83 percentage points.
Respondents were asked how much a candidate’s cannabis views would influence their vote. The results indicate the issue carries substantial weight with this voting bloc heading into the midterms.
NORML commissioned the poll to gauge the political salience of cannabis reform among consumers. The organization released the findings ahead of the November elections.
Breakdown Of The Numbers
Forty-one percent of respondents said a candidate’s views on cannabis would “significantly” influence their decision to vote for them in November. Another 37% said a candidate’s views would “somewhat” influence their decision.
Twenty-two percent of those polled said a candidate’s views on cannabis would not influence their decision at all.
Women were among the groups most likely to say cannabis policy would shape their vote, at 81%. Democrats polled at 83% on the same question.
Republicans followed at 73%, while 76% of men said a candidate’s cannabis views would influence their decision.
The figures show majorities across gender and party lines reporting that cannabis policy plays a role in their electoral choices.
NORML’s Response
NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano addressed the findings in a blog post. He said that “Reforming America’s failed marijuana prohibition laws enjoys bipartisan support among voters.”
“Candidates and elected officials who ignore this reality do so at their own political peril,” Armentano said in a blog post.
Armentano’s comments frame the poll as a warning to officeholders and candidates as the midterms approach.
The poll’s release gives campaigns a data point on where cannabis consumers stand weeks before the November elections.
