Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA) Copyright: 2014 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/about/feedback/ Website: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/339 85% BACK MEDICAL POT, BUT RECREATIONAL A DIFFERENT STORY HARRISBURG (AP) - A large majority of Pennsylvania voters favor legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, but they are divided over whether possession of even small amounts for recreational use should be legalized, according to a poll released yesterday. The poll from Quinnipiac University focused on an issue being debated in the state Legislature and among the Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Gov. Corbett's re-election bid. The survey showed that 85 percent of voters believe adult Pennsylvanians should be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it. But voters are narrowly split on whether possession of small amounts of the drug should be legal for recreational use. According to the poll, 48 percent support such legalization and 49 percent oppose it, a gap within the survey's margin of error. Respondents also split on whether pot is a gateway to hard drugs: 48 percent said no, 46 percent said yes. The poll included telephone interviews with 1,405 Pennsylvania voters from Feb. 19 to 24. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. Asked whether they had ever tried marijuana, 55 percent of the respondents said no and 44 percent said yes. Forty-nine percent said they believe that marijuana is as dangerous as alcohol, while 33 percent think it is less dangerous and 15 percent said it is more dangerous. Sixty-five percent said they would be very uncomfortable riding in a car driven by someone who had smoked or consumed a moderate amount of marijuana and 19 percent said they would be somewhat uncomfortable. In the seven-way Democratic primary race, the proposed legalization and taxation of marijuana is central to John Hanger's campaign. While the other candidates generally support allowing medical use of marijuana, they have not joined Hanger's call for legalization. At a Friday night candidates' forum in Harrisburg, York businessman Tom Wolf said his family's building-products company provides "a second chance" to otherwise qualified job applicants if they have been convicted of possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. Without such special consideration, such young people are "absolutely shunted aside from the workforce," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt