By Poll Finds Broad Support for Legalization
A new poll shows that a strong majority of North Carolina adults support legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical purposes. The survey, released on Friday, was conducted by SurveyUSA for WRAL and WSOC. It found that 63 percent of respondents want to legalize recreational marijuana.
Twenty-six percent said adult-use cannabis should remain against the law, and another 11 percent said they are not sure. Support for recreational legalization crosses party lines, with 73 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of independents in favor.
Backing for the reform also spans all age groups except people over 65, who are split 42 percent to 42 percent. “Opposition to legalization does not exceed 44% and does not outweigh support for legalization among any demographic subgroup,” the polling memo says.
The survey involved interviews with 900 North Carolina adults between October 7 and 11. It is the latest measure of voter attitudes as state officials weigh cannabis policy changes.
The results come as a North Carolina government commission prepares recommendations on transitioning from broad cannabis prohibition to a system of regulations.
Medical Cannabis Draws Even Stronger Backing
A separate question in the survey shows even stronger support for medical cannabis in the state. Seventy-four percent said it should be legalized, 15 percent said it should stay prohibited and 11 percent said they aren’t sure.
As with recreational legalization, medical use enjoys support across partisan lines. Eighty-three percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of independents favor the reform.
The more limited reform is supported by respondents of all ages, including those over 65. “Majorities in all parts of the state and among all demographic subgroups favor legalization of medical marijuana,” SurveyUSA’s analysis says.
Ken Alper, the president of SurveyUSA, said North Carolina voters have seen how “society hasn’t collapsed” in other states that have legalized marijuana. He said they are “much more comfortable with it than they would have been 10 or 20 years ago.”
The findings add to evidence of public support as lawmakers debate the issue.
State Officials Weigh Next Steps
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, which Gov. Josh Stein (D) convened last year, has been holding an ongoing series of meetings, including through subcommittees focused on specific aspects of marijuana reform.
The body’s Market and Regulatory Subcommittee recently discussed a model where the “state exclusively controls the retail channel while private businesses remain responsible for cultivation, manufacturing/processing, and wholesale distribution.”
Stein has repeatedly called on the GOP-controlled legislature to broadly legalize and regulate cannabis. In August, he called on lawmakers to legalize and regulate cannabis in a way that “protects kids.”
Lawmakers have considered legislation to legalize medical cannabis for the last several sessions, with the Senate approving several proposals and the House refusing to follow suit. The Senate president pro tempore recently said lawmakers will take a more serious look at legalizing medical marijuana following the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.
