Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2014
Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
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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.
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