According to a study, 3 out of 4 Maryland voters favor legalizing marijuana

Just over a month remains until the general election in November, and Maryland voters will have a say on a number of ballot initiatives, including legalizing marijuana.

According to a recent poll by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, the majority of Maryland’s registered voters favor legalizing marijuana.

73% of those polled said they supported the proposal to make “the use of cannabis” legal for people 21 and older by July 2023.

The results of the poll, which phoned 810 registered voters between September 22 and September 27, revealed that support for the proposal is both broad and diversified. The poll’s error margin is four points, plus or minus.

Results showed that while Republicans favor the legislation in large numbers, overall, they are less supportive than Democrats. Compared to 78% of registered Democrats, 53% of registered Republicans said they support the bill.

In general, older adults supported legalization less than their younger colleagues did, though a majority still supported it. In the study, 52% of respondents 65 and older stated their support, compared to 87% of respondents 18 to 39 and 72% of respondents 40 to 64.

It will be Question 4 on the ballot in November. If passed, Maryland would become the 20th state in the union to allow for the recreational use of drugs by adults. Virginia legalized marijuana usage for recreational purposes in 2013, and nearby D.C. residents also did so in 2014.

Along with 36 other states and the District of Columbia, Maryland already has a legal medical marijuana program. Hanmer suggested that, among other things, Maryland’s present marijuana policy would help to explain the resounding support for legalizing recreational usage.