A new poll conducted by Sooner Poll in Oklahoma reveals near-overwhelming support for both decriminalization of marijuana and legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The poll, in which 85% of respondents identified as age 45 or older, demonstrated a tiny minority of 18% identifying as strongly opposed to allowing patients to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, while 71% “supported” or “somewhat supported” allowing the use of marijuana pursuant to a doctor’s recommendation. In a state that had sentenced a father of four to 93 years in prison for growing medical marijuana to treat his rheumatoid arthritis, the poll result indicates that the overwhelming body of research indicating that marijuana is both a safe and effective treatment for a variety of maladies is beginning to resonate with voters.
Likewise, 57% of respondents supported or somewhat supported the idea of decriminalizing the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes, making such cases subject only to a fine. Only 39% stood in opposition, either somewhat or strongly.
Privately funded pro-marijuana billboard as seen in Oklahoma.
The poll of likely voters in the reddest of the red states, where 87.9% of respondents identified as either moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative, also showed 64% of respondents in favor of a policy of referral to treatment rather than incarceration, while only 27% supported the present incarceration-based marijuana policy.
Perhaps most notably, Oklahomans’ independent streak was in full display as a whopping 82% of voters insisted that marijuana laws should be determined by state governments rather than the federal government. A mere 17% supported the current regime, wherein marijuana is classified federally as a Schedule I controlled substance and enforced as such on a nationwide basis regardless of local laws or opinion. The result suggests that the increasingly utilized principle of nullification will feature prominently in charting Oklahoma’s path out of marijuana prohibition.
Oklahoma voters would display fiscal and economic pragmatism in joining their neighbor Colorado, which in a statewide vote recently legalized the sale and consumption of marijuana for adults 21 and over. The marijuana industry in Colorado is estimated to rake in over $600 million per year in fiscal year 2014-2015, with a corresponding uplifting effect on jobs and tax revenues in the state.
The poll was conducted by Sooner Poll from August 28th to September 9th, 2013 and has a ± 4.9% margin of error. For more information, contact Norma Sapp with Oklahoma NORML at norma@oknorml.org.
