A Poll in Ohio Finds 57% Support for Marijuana Legalization, including Majority of Republicans

In a recent survey, 57% of Ohio voters indicated that they would vote “yes” on Issue 2, a ballot initiative that will be on the November ballot that legalizes marijuana for adults over 21. This includes a small majority of Republicans , even though GOP elected officials continue to oppose reform.

Just 7 percent are undecided. Meanwhile, 35 percent said they would oppose this measure.

The poll conducted by Baldwin Wallace University Community Research Institute and published on Tuesday found that the majority of Democrats (66,4%), independents (58,6%) and Republicans (50,4%) supported the reform, as did urban voters (64,6%), suburban voters (57,3%) and rural voters (53,1%). Women (55.4%) and men (59.3%) both support the policy change.

Self-identified conservatives are the only group that has expressed a majority opposition to Issue 2. They plan to vote no in 50.1 percent. The survey found that 61.7 percent of moderates support the issue, and 72.6 percent plan to vote no.

The issue 2 was also supported by a majority of voters aged 50 or older (46.8 % yes, 45 % no) and evangelical voters (46.9 % yes, 46.3% no), although there is a margin of error of up to 4 %).

Noteworthy, 70.3 per cent of parents plan to support the legalization of marijuana compared to 52.1% of those without children.

The poll found that a majority of respondents supported a separate abortion rights initiative, which will be on the ballot on November 7, along with the cannabis reform proposal.

Tom Sutton is a professor of political science and director of CRI. He said that the majority of respondents who fit these demographics favor Issue 1 and 2. This indicates a high likelihood of a vote in November for both issues.

Are you curious about the thoughts of Ohio voters? Explore the latest Ohio Pulse Poll results by BW Community Research Institute. https://t.co/pzNyIGwQkM

Baldwin Wallace University 18 October 2023

White voters are the least likely racial group to support Issue 2. Only 54,9 percent of respondents said they would vote in favor of the measure. Black voters (75.0%) and those who identify as “something other” (63.6%) showed the strongest support.

Only 44.9 percent of respondents said they planned to vote early. Meanwhile, 51.9 percent plan to vote in person at the polling place on Election Day. Early voting began in the state on October 11.

It is expected that a large number of people will turn out to vote, despite the fact that it’s an off-year.

Sutton stated that both marijuana and abortion are personal issues for many Ohioans. This means we can expect a much higher voter turnout than usual in an election off-year only involving local elections.

A majority of respondents (61,6 percent) who indicated they were certain to vote but also opposed Issue 2’s legalization of adult use said that they supported continuing the current state program to allow medical cannabis to be available legally. The survey found that no demographic group had a majority of people opposed to legal medical marijuana.

The survey results are in line with those of a poll done by FM3 Research mid-August on behalf of Issue 2, the Coalition to Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol. The survey found that 55 percent of respondents “definitely or probably” said they would vote “yes” on the legalization measure, and 34 percent would “definitely or probably” oppose it. Around 11 percent of respondents were undecided.

The FM3 report stated that these findings were “remarkably similar” to other publicly released surveys on legalization. These included by Fallon Research, in August, and Suffolk University, in July. Both showed 59 percent of support for this policy change.

The public sentiment has also remained relatively stable over time. It said that 57 percent of respondents in 2019 supported the plan, 61 percent in 2020, and 63 percent in 2022.

Measure on November 7th ballot:

This initiative will allow adults over 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces (or 15 grams) of cannabis. They can also have marijuana concentrates up to 15 gram.
Each individual could grow six plants to use for their own personal needs, and a maximum of 12 plants in a household.
The 10 percent tax on cannabis sales would go to fund social equity and job programs (36%), localities who allow adult-use marijuana businesses to operate in their areas (36%), education and drug misuse programs (25%), and administrative costs for implementing the system (3%).
The Department of Commerce would establish a Division of Cannabis Control. The division would be able to “license and regulate adult-use cannabis operators, adult-use testing laboratories, as well as individuals who are required to have a license.”
This measure will give current medical cannabis businesses an advantage in the recreational market. Within nine months after the law’s enactment, regulators would have to start issuing adult use licenses to applicants who are qualified and operate medical cannabis operations.
The division will also have to issue 50 adult-use retail licenses, and 40 recreational cultivator licences. This is “with preference given to applicants who are participating in the cannabis social equality and jobs program.” It would also authorize regulators to grant additional licenses for recreational market after two years.
Municipalities could opt not to allow new recreational cannabis businesses to open in their region, but existing medical marijuana companies would still be allowed to operate if they wanted to co-locate adult-use operations. Employers can also enforce policies that prohibit workers from using cannabis for adult purposes.
The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services would also be required to enter into an agreement to provide “cannabis-addiction services,” including “education and treatment” for those with addiction issues to cannabis, or other controlled substances such as opioids.
Some advocates worry about the lack specific language regarding automatic expungements, which would clear the records for people who have convictions from crimes that would become legal under the new legislation. The measure includes a clause requiring regulators “to study and fund” criminal reform initiatives, including expungements.

The Ohio Ballot Board has approved the summary language for legalization measure.

Researchers at Ohio State University have estimated that if approved, legalization would bring in an annual tax revenue of $404 million for the state.

Meanwhile, Ohio’s Republican-controlled Senate is urging voters to reject the marijuana measure. The body passed a motion last week saying that the proposal does not serve the interests of Ohioans. It will also bring unacceptable risks and dangers to children’s health, as well as create dangerous workplaces and challenges for employers.

Matt Huffman, Senate President (R), said that if the measure passes, will “come right back to this body” so that lawmakers can amend. Huffman clarified later that he would not seek to repeal the plan in its entirety, but instead advocate for “reviewing it and repealing or changing things within it.”

Last month, a number of Ohio legislators said that they did not believe the legislature would repeal a legalization law passed by voters. Rep. Ron Ferguson, a Republican from Ohio, told The Dispatch that there is not a majority in either chamber of the legislature who would support repeal. “That is definitely not the situation. “You would not have any Democrats and there wouldn’t be enough Republicans to place them at the top.”

As the election approaches, both sides have increased their messaging and voter turnout efforts. The yes campaign sent cease-and-desist letters earlier this month to television stations that were airing opposition ads “filled with lies.” and the Campaign to Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol released its own pro Issue 2 election ad.

Attorney General Dave Yost, (R), published a report on the initiative . He said that this analysis is intended to give voters “vital transparency and clarity” in a campaign marked by “inflamed” and “inaccurate” rhetoric.

Despite the GOP resolution, other Republican officials in Ohio are divided on this issue . Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said, in August, that it would be “a real mistake” for us to have marijuana for recreational use. He also noted that, in 2012, he had visited Colorado and seen what he called an “unmitigated catastrophe.”

Last year, Sen. John Hickenlooper, who was Colorado’s governor in 2012 and was a Democrat, stated that he had initially been concerned that legalization might encourage more young people to use drugs, but that he now believes that these fears were unfounded.

“I believe we have proven and shown that there has been no increase in teenagers’ experimentation with drugs.” Hickenlooper stated that there was no change in the frequency of use or driving while high. “None of the things that we were most concerned about came to pass.”

Unlike top Republican state legislators, U.S. Rep Dave Joyce, R-OH, co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus said last month he will vote in favor of this initiative in November. He also encouraged “all Ohio citizens to make their voices heard and participate in this important issue.”

The total number of states that have legalized adult use will increase to 24 if the initiative is passed.

Ohio voters rejected the 2015 measure on 64-36, which would have changed the state constitution to legalize pot and give the control of the market a small group producers. The organizers of the current campaign claim that they have learned lessons from the failure when crafting the current initiative.

In May , bipartisan Ohio legislators submitted a separate bill for legalizing marijuana. This gave the Ohio legislature an opportunity to lead the way on reform. It has not yet advanced, but now it is up to the voters to decide.