Florida could soon be the next state to allow medical marijuana, according to the results of
a Quinnipiac University poll, which finds that 88 percent of Sunshine State voters support the idea, which will be voted on in November.
Even seniors are on board, according to the poll, with 83 percent of voters over 65 favoring it, slightly less than the 95 percent of voters between ages 18 and 29.
"Forget the stereotypes of stodgy old folks living out their golden years playing canasta and golf," Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, said in a statement. "Almost 9 in 10 Floridians favor legalizing medical marijuana, and a small majority says adults should be able to possess small amounts of the drug for recreational purposes.
"Even though a proposal to legalize medical marijuana, on the ballot this November, must meet a 60 percent threshold, these numbers make a strong bet the referendum is likely to pass."
Republicans are the group with the least amount of support, though they still favor the idea by an 80 percent to 19 percent split.
According to ProCon.org, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legal medical marijuana, and a host of others are considering recreational use laws. Colorado and Washington recently passed it.
In Florida, support for recreational pot is not as fervent as medical marijuana, but it’s still strong: 55 percent to 41 percent. Men are much higher on the idea (61 percent to 36 percent) while women are more evenly split, 49 percent to 45 percent.
Age is a major contributing factor when it comes to support for lighting up for purely recreational purposes. Seventy-two percent of voters 18 to 29 favor it, while 59 percent of voters over 65 oppose it.
Democrats and independents are much mellower about the idea with 64 percent and 55 percent support the idea, respectively. Republicans oppose it by a 56 percent to 41 percent margin.
In Florida last month, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is up for re-election, signed into law the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act permitting limited use of a special strain of marijuana to treat epileptic seizures, cancer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig's disease,
according to Reuters.
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