Nearly eight in ten marijuana consumers say a candidate’s position on cannabis policy will influence their voting decisions in November’s midterm elections, according to new polling conducted by NuggMD for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
The survey, released Tuesday, October 20, found that 78% of respondents consider a candidate’s marijuana policy positions when deciding whether to support them. Approximately 41% said those positions significantly influence their decisions, while 37% said they have some influence. The remaining 22% reported that marijuana policy does not affect their voting decisions.
The findings showed relatively strong interest across political affiliations and demographic groups. Among Democrats surveyed, 83% said marijuana policy would influence their vote, compared to 73% of Republicans. Women were somewhat more likely than men to consider the issue, at 81% versus 76%.
“Reforming America’s failed marijuana prohibition laws enjoys bipartisan support among voters”, said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Candidates and elected officials who ignore this reality do so at their own political peril.”
The survey included 654 marijuana consumers living in states with legal cannabis markets and carries a reported margin of error of ±3.83 percentage points. Because the survey focused specifically on marijuana consumers, its findings should not be interpreted as representative of the broader electorate.
The results come two weeks before the November 3 general election, when voters in several jurisdictions will decide marijuana-related ballot measures alongside congressional, state and local races.
In Massachusetts, voters will consider Question 8, which would repeal the state’s regulated recreational marijuana retail market while maintaining medical marijuana access and allowing limited adult possession. A recent Suffolk University poll found that more than 71% of Massachusetts voters oppose the proposed repeal.
Idaho voters will consider House Joint Resolution 4, a proposed constitutional amendment that would reserve decisions about legalizing marijuana and certain other psychoactive substances for the state legislature, restricting the ability of citizens to enact legalization measures through ballot initiatives.
Meanwhile, Houston voters will decide on the Houston Freedom Act, a municipal proposal that would make enforcement of misdemeanor marijuana possession laws the city’s lowest police priority. The initiative follows similar voter-approved measures in other Texas cities, several of which have faced legal challenges.
The NuggMD findings measure how much marijuana policy matters to surveyed consumers, rather than whether respondents favor or oppose a particular candidate or party.
