According to new polling 67% of voters in Florida want the state to legalize recreational marijuana.
The University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) poll found support for legalizing marijuana is well above the 60% threshold required to pass a constitutional amendment into law.
“Respondents were asked if they would vote yes or no on another proposed state constitutional amendment to that would allow adults in Florida to purchase and possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use”, states the poll. “Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they would vote yes, with 28% indicating a vote of no. In Spring of 2023, 70% of respondents said they would support recreational marijuana in Florida, either strongly or somewhat, and 76% said they supported it in Spring of 2022.”
“Unlike previous surveys when we simply asked if folks support or oppose legalization of recreational marijuana, this time we gave respondents the specifics of this proposed amendment,” said PORL faculty director and professor of political science Dr. Michael Binder. “Yet again, it looks like it has a good chance of passing, if the measure makes it through the courts, and that is a very big ‘if’.”
Democrats were the most supportive, at 78%, compared to Republicans (55%) and non-partisans/others (69%).
Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 strongly embraced the reform, with 86% in support. But even 51% of those aged 65+ said they backed legalization.
The poll involved interviews with 716 registered Florida voters from November 6-26, with a margin of error of +/-4.37 percentage points. An earlier survey from UNF that broadly asked voters about cannabis legalization without giving specifics about the ballot initiative similarly showed that 70 percent were in favor of the reform.
The initiative in consideration would allow those 21 and older “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise.” Licensed marijuana retail outlets would be allowed to distribute the plant, with any of the state’s licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries allowed to “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute such products and accessories.”
The results of this poll mark a 7% increase in support for legalization compared to a poll released in September, which found that 60% of Florida voters support Issue 2.
