Pubdate: Tue, 06 May 2014
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Copyright: 2014 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/mVLAxQfA
Website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Author: Scott Powers
Page: 2B

POLL SHOWS 88% SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

An overwhelming 88 percent of registered voters support the use of
medical marijuana by adults, with only 10 percent opposed, according
to a Quinnipiac University Florida poll released Monday.

The level of support is well above what even the most optimistic
supporters of medical marijuana have been predicting and certainly
much higher than what opponents have suggested. The survey's results
come after the Florida Legislature last week approved legalizing
"Charlotte's Web," anon-euphoric form of pot used to treat certain
seizures.

"If Vegas were giving odds on medical marijuana becoming legal in
Florida, the bookies would be betting heavily," said Peter A. Brown,
assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.

Amendment 2, the medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot,
will need 60 percent approval to be adopted. "I think it demonstrates
what we've been saying over the last year, that this is not a
controversial issue for most Floridians," said Ben Pollara, campaign
manager for United For Care, the organization that put Amendment 2 on
the ballot. "Most people think if a doctor recommends a course of
treatment, the patients should be able to pursue it."

Opponent Calvina Fay, executive director of Save Our Society From
Drugs, said the Quinnipiac poll question doesn't necessarily reflect
support or opposition for Amendment 2 because the question ignores key
issues with the actual ballot issue. For one, under Amendment 2,
doctors couldn't actually formally prescribe marijuana, because it's
still federally illegal. All they can do is recommend it. Two, it
would be open to children, and the question only applied to adult usage.

"I believe that once the voters understand that Amendment Two has
significant loopholes that you can drive a Mack truck through, they
will reject it," she said.

Every demographic group, including Republicans and voters older than
65, supported medical marijuana with at least 80 percent. Support
among Democrats, young voters (under 30) and Hispanics was above 90
percent.

In November, Quinnipiac found 82 percent overall support.

Another recent poll, by Gravis Marketing of Winter Springs, found 60
percent of Florida voters ready to say yes.

Quinnipiac pollsters also asked respondents if they had ever tried
marijuana. In the 50-64-year-old age bracket-baby boomers - 62
percent of voters said they had tried it.

The next highest percentage was in the 30-49 year-old bracket, with
acknowledged pot smokers in the majority, but barely, 50-49.
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MAP posted-by: Matt