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A recent poll has found that 59% of Nebraska voters plan to vote in favor of legalizing medical marijuana in next month’s general election. The state’s voters will see two complementary medical marijuana legalization initiatives on the ballot, one that would legalize the use of medical marijuana and another to regulate cannabis commerce.
The survey asked registered voters if they would “vote yes to legalize the medical use of marijuana, or no, in opposition,” online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Wednesday. Nearly six out of 10 respondents (59%) said that they would vote in favor of legalizing medical cannabis in Nebraska. A third (33%) said they would vote against the reform, while 8% indicated they were not sure how they would vote.
The polling results are from a survey conducted in four midwestern states by Emerson College Polling and the Midwest Newsroom late last month and into early October. The survey asked 1,000 Nebraska registered voters about their views on several issues important to the state, including the medical marijuana legalization measure that will appear on the ballot for the November 5 general election.
Strong Support For Legalizing Medical Weed Among Democrats And Independents
Democrats were mostly likely to be in favor of legalizing medical marijuana in Nebraska, with just over 78% saying they would vote in favor of the change and less than 18% saying they opposed the measure. Independent and other voters also showed strong support for legal medical pot, with 70% in favor and 16.5% against legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis. Among Republicans, 42.3% said they would vote to legalize medical weed and just over half (50.3%) said they would oppose legalization.
By age, voters aged 40 to 49 years old were most supportive of legalizing medical marijuana, with 70% saying they would vote in favor of the ballot measure. About six out of 10 voters aged 18 to 29 years old (60.9%), 30 to 39 years old (61.1%) and 50 to 59 years old (60.3%), said they would vote to legalize medical marijuana. Among those 60 to 69 years old, 55% said they support legalization, while 45.6% of voters aged 70 and older said the same.
Two Medical Marijuana Legalization Measures On Nebraska Ballot
Nebraska voters will see two separate medical marijuana legalization measures on the ballot for the November general election. One of the ballot measures would legalize the medical use of cannabis, while the other would establish a regulatory framework for medical cannabis production and sales. Brian Vicente, founder of the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, explained the strategy between separating medical marijuana legalization into two separate initiatives.
“In a smart move, the campaign placed two measures on the ballot—one to remove criminal penalties for patients possessing cannabis and another to establish a regulatory structure for medical cannabis sales,” Vicente explained in an email when the ballot measures were approved for the November ballot. “This bifurcation is an important strategy to head off potential judicial interpretation that proponents have violated the ‘single subject’ rule which generally governs ballot measures.”
“By breaking ‘rights’ and ‘access’ into two separate measures, the laws seem likely to withstand judicial scrutiny since voters would distinctly authorize each subject,” he continues. “The downside of this strategy is that voters will be asked to vote twice on medical cannabis, but in a state whose population consistently supports medical cannabis at over 70%, this shouldn’t pose too big a risk. Nebraskans want medical marijuana in their state, and these well-crafted measures seem likely to deliver.”
Nebraska joins three other states where voters will decide on cannabis policy reform initiatives this year. Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota, three states that have already legalized medical marijuana, will all decide on measures to legalize recreational cannabis for adults in November. So far, 38 states have legalized medical marijuana, while 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis.
“}]] Nearly six out of 10 registered voters say they will vote in favor of a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska, according to a recent survey. Read More