New Poll Finds 57% of Vermont Voters Support Legalizing Cannabis for Recreational Purposes
A new poll conducted by the Castleton Polling Institute has found that a strong majority of voters in Vermont favor the legalization of recreational cannabis
for adults.
According to results of the survey, 57.2% of Vermont voters support legalizing cannabis, with just 34.3% opposed; the remaining 8.5% are currently undecided.
“People are fed up with marijuana prohibition,” says Matt Simon, New England Political Director for the Marijuana Policy Project, the organization that commissioned the poll. “Marijuana is an objectively less harmful substance than alcohol, and this poll shows most Vermonters want it to be treated that way.”
He continues; “Just about anyone who reviews the evidence objectively will arrive at the conclusion that prohibition has failed, and it’s time for a more sensible approach. Regulating marijuana like alcohol would replace the underground market with licensed, tax-paying businesses. There is a reason why we don’t see copious amounts of alcohol being illegally produced and trafficked around Vermont — because it’s regulated.”
Last month Vermont’s Legislature approved a bill which includes a provision that would establish a study to examine the impact of legalizing cannabis in the state; it currently awaits the governor’s response.
– TheJointBlog