A strong majority of Wisconsin voters support legalizing marijuana, according to a new poll. And that includes a majority of Republican voters who now say cannabis prohibition should end, even as GOP leaders have proactively blocked the reform in the legislature. The survey from Marquette Law School that was released on Wednesday found that support for cannabis reform continues to grow in the state, with 61 percent of voters saying they favor legalization, compared to 31 percent who oppose the policy change. But one of the most notable findings from the poll is that support for adult-use legalization among Republican voters has officially reached majority status, with 51 percent of those who identify as GOP backing the reform. That’s an eight percentage point increase since the university conducted the first survey in 2013. Democrats were the most supportive of legalization at 75 percent, followed by independents who back the policy change at 60 percent. “Support for legalization of marijuana has grown in each partisan group since 2013, with a slim majority of Republicans now supporting legalization,” Marquette Law School said in a press release. Overall, support for legalization has grown demonstrably since voters were first polled on the issue in 2013. That year, 50 percent of voters said they favor cannabis reform, versus 45 percent who said it should remain illegal. The latest poll involved interviews with 802 registered Wisconsin voters from February 22-27, with a +/-3.8 percentage point margin of error. Despite the rising, bipartisan embrace for legalization in Wisconsin, the GOP-controlled legislature has yet to meet the moment, consistently blocking reform from advancing as the Democratic governor and lawmakers from his party have pushed for it. But there are signs of movement, including among Republican lawmakers.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/02/2022 15:26:00