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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Any way you look at it — age, gender or party registration — Florida voters overwhelmingly support the idea of legalizing medical marijuana, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday.
The poll found 88 percent support for medical use of marijuana compared to only 10 percent who opposed. And most Florida voters also approve of allowing adults to have small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, with 55 percent in favor compared to 41 percent who oppose, the poll found.
Florida voters will decide in November whether to legalize medical marijuana. While the poll didn't specifically ask about the ballot question, it indicates the issue will meet the 60 percent support needed for passage.
"People do not want those who are terminally ill or debilitatingly ill to be arrested and locked up for trying to get better or for trying to get peace," said John Morgan, the personal injury lawyer who spent $4 million to get the issue on the ballot. "I think it was well spent because we've educated people, they've listened and they've believed."
Younger voters have the highest support for the issue. Those between the ages of 18 to 29 approve of medical marijuana by a 95 to 5 percent margin. And 83 percent of voters over the age of 65 support the idea.
Broken down by party, 80 percent of Republicans, 94 percent of Democrats and 89 percent of independent voters support medical marijuana.
Opponents of ballot question criticized the findings because voters weren't asked specifically about the proposed constitutional amendment.
"The poll fails at its one job: to ask about Florida's actual Amendment 2. This poll simply does not address the realities of this dangerous amendment," the Don't Let Florida Go To Pot Coalition said in prepared statement. The group includes law enforcement, medical professionals and substance abuse experts.
The poll of 1,251 voters was conducted July 17-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
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