Pubdate: Thu, 08 Oct 2015
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93
Author: Michelle Everhart
By Michelle Everhart

SLIGHT MAJORITY BACKS 'PERSONAL USE' OF POT

The Quinnipiac Poll Also Showed Support Among Ohio Voters for Medical 
Marijuana at 90 Percent.

An overwhelming number of Ohioans would be OK with legalizing medical 
marijuana, while a smaller number - but still a majority - back 
legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a poll released on Thursday.

What's unclear is whether those people will vote for Issue 3, 
ResponsibleOhio's plan to legalize both types of marijuana use. The 
issue is on the ballot statewide.

The Quinnipiac poll showed support among Ohio voters for medical 
marijuana at 90 percent and for recreational use at 53 percent.

But 65 percent said they would not use marijuana even if it were legalized.

With 70 percent of the age group 18 to 34 supporting recreational 
use, Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University 
Poll, said: "Not surprisingly, support for the change is linked to 
age, with younger voters more likely to see personal use of pot as a 
good thing."

Issue 3 would legalize the purchase and recreational use of marijuana 
by adults 21 or older as well as the possession and use of medical 
marijuana by people with a qualifying medical condition.

The cultivation end of the for-profit business would be controlled by 
10 investment groups that have bought into the business by making 
multimillion-dollar investments in the campaign.

Curt Steiner, campaign director for Ohioans Against Marijuana 
Monopolies, said the poll asked the question in the most favorable 
way. The question was "Do you support or oppose allowing adults in 
Ohio to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use?" 
Because the poll used the word "personal" instead of "recreational," 
people might have interpreted that as covering medical use, too, Steiner said.

"Issue 3 is a lot more than what this question would imply," Steiner 
said. "Voters are discerning, and a question about Issue 3 would show 
that it is failing."

He said the opposition campaign, which launched its first digital ad 
on Thursday, has done polling, but he would not share its results.

ResponsibleOhio Director Ian James said in a statement that the poll 
validates the Issue 3 campaign.

"We're confident that Ohioans will reject the status quo and end 
failed marijuana prohibition in November by voting Yes on Issue 3 to 
provide a highly regulated, taxed and tested system for legalization. 
Passing Issue 3 will make medical marijuana available, create tens of 
thousands of jobs and generate needed revenue for local communities' 
safety services and infrastructure," James said.

Quinnipiac's telephone poll (land-lines and cellphones) from Sept. 25 
through Oct. 5 involved 1,180 registered Ohio voters and has a margin 
of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Dispatch Reporter Alan Johnson contributed to this story. 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom