According to new survey data, a strong majority of adults in Kansas want state lawmakers to legalize recreational marijuana.
According to Fort Hays State University’s Kansas Speaks poll, 67.2% are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana (including sales) for those 21 and older. Just 16.9% are opposed to the idea, with around 13% undecided.
The poll also found that 63.6% of respondents are “highly” or “somewhat likely” to vote for a candidate who supported medical marijuana legalization as they decided who to vote to represent them in Kansas Legislature; just 14.8% are unlikely to support a candidate that endorsed legalizing medical marijuana.
The poll was conducted between September 20 and October 10, and it included around 500 Kansas residents.
Under Kansas’ current law, the possession of any amount of marijuana for personal use is punishable by a misdemeanor, an $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. Cultivating marijuana plants can result in a felony charge punishable by up to 83 months in prison.
Kansas is one of just 11 states that have not legalized some form of medical marijuana. In 2021 the Kansas House of Representatives passed a medical cannabis bill, supported by Governor Laura Kelly, but it stalled in the Senate.
