With a month to go before Maryland voters cast their votes on cannabis legalization in the state, approval seems probable, according to recent data.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of registered Maryland voters approve of cannabis legalization, while 23% disapprove and 4% have no opinion, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland.
The poll asked respondents the following question: “Do you favor the legalization of the use of cannabis by an individual who is at least 21 years of age on or after July 1, 2023, in the state of Maryland?”
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While Maryland voters are largely in favor of legalization, approval for cannabis legalization was also relatively similar across all education levels. Those with post-graduate degrees approve by a 75%-22% margin and those with high school or less approve by a 74%-20% margin. Those with bachelor’s degrees (73%-25%) and those with some college (70%-26%) also overwhelmingly approve of legalization.
Approval by gender was also relatively comparable. More than three-quarters (76%) of males said yes while 20% said no, and females were also in favor but slightly less so, with 69% approving and 26% opposing.
By race/ethnicity, 77% of Blacks approve of legalization while 21% do not, comparable to Whites at a 70%-24% margin.
Opinions by political affiliation and age, however, were more varied.
By political party registration, 81% of Independents said yes while 14% said no–mostly on par with 78% of Democrats approving compared to 19% disapproving. Republicans, meanwhile, approved by a 53%-40% margin.
By age, 87% of the 18-39 demographic said yes–the highest percentage of any age bracket–compared to 73% of those aged 40-64, and 52% of those aged 65+.
While approval by region was relatively similar, with Prince George’s County (80%-16%), Montgomery County (76%-21%), and Baltimore/Central Maryland (73%-22%) all heavily in favor, voters in the Southern/Eastern Shore region were also in favor but less enthused (64%-31%).
The Washington Post-University of Maryland poll was conducted among 810 Maryland registered voted by telephone between Sept. 22-27, with a margin of error at plus or minus four percentage points.
A similar Goucher College poll released Sept. 19 indicated 59% of Maryland voters plan to vote “yes” on cannabis legalization this November, while 34% said they would vote against it and 7% are undecided
