I have always said that if there are patients suffering in a state, and medical marijuana will help those patients alleviate their suffering, than that state’s legislature should legalize medical marijuana. This is especially true if voters in that state support such a move. One would think that a politician would take ownership of the idea and push it through the state legislature, and in the process look like a genius.
I’m hoping that will be the case in Pennsylvania. A recent Mercyhurst Center of Applied Politics poll found that 85% of people support medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. I think people would be hard pressed to find an area of public policy that has that level of support in Pennsylvania. According to the poll:
A sizeable majority of Pennsylvania voters (85%) favor making it legal for patients to use marijuana if it was prescribed by their doctor, and only 10% oppose the position. The prospect of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes appears to have widespread support across key demographic groups including age, education, ideology, and party identification, and is favored in all five Pennsylvania’s regions (see Cross Tabulations).
The poll also found plurality support for marijuana legalization. 48% of poll participants supported marijuana legalization, while 42% said that they opposed it. The poll involved 495 registered Pennsylvania voters. If you live in Pennsylvania, you should e-mail the poll to every state legislator you can.
