Following the recent addition of a marijuana legalization initiative to the upcoming November ballot, a new survey indicates a surprising level of support for the reform among a cross-section of voters.
The winds of change continue to blow in the state of Ohio. Just days after the Ohio Ballot Board approves the final ballot summary language for a voter initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, a new poll finds that a majority of Ohioans, including a plurality of Republicans, support the measure that will be on the ballot this November.
According to numerous local and national media outlets, the survey conducted by Fallon Research & Communications shows that 59% of registered voters approve of the marijuana legalization initiative.
Last month, the Ohio-based advocacy group known as Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) submitted 123,367 signatures for a petition to add a citizen-driven initiative to legalize cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and sales for residents over 21 to this November’s ballot.
After falling a few thousand signatures short, the group was granted an additional ten days to acquire the necessary number and ultimately turned in roughly 6,500 more names. Following that quick turnaround effort, Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office informed the advocacy group through a letter that of those additional 6,500 signatures, 4,405 were valid, bringing the overall total to 127,772, ensuring the initiative will indeed be on the ballot come November.
“We are grateful to the thousands of Ohioans who helped us get to this point and are excited to bring our proposal to regulate marijuana like alcohol before Ohio voters this coming Election Day,” CTRMLA spokesperson Tom Haren said.
"We are grateful to the thousands of Ohioans who helped us get to this point and are excited to bring our proposal to regulate marijuana like alcohol before Ohio voters this coming Election Day.”
- CTRMLA spokesperson Tom Haren
The new poll numbers provide much validation to groups like CTRMLA and the legion of pro-cannabis advocates and stakeholders in the Buckeye State. The survey also provides strong evidence of growing support among GOP voters for the reform initiative, with a significant drop in overall opposition by Republicans compared to a statewide poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University in July.
Although both polls found that 59% of Ohio voters support the legalization measure, the Fallon survey shows GOP support at 48%, with an opposition level of 46%. Conversely, the USA Today/Suffolk University poll indicated that only 40% of Republicans favored the measure, representing close to a 10% increase in a relatively short time.
Here are a few more notable findings of the Fallon Poll:
68% of Democrats support the reform.
62% of politically unaffiliated voters support the measure.
The initiative enjoys a majority of support across racial groups and all age categories except those 65 and older.
The poll involved interviews with 501 registered Ohio voters from August 22-25, with a +/-4.4 percentage point margin of error.
In addition to the positive poll numbers, a recent economic analysis by Ohio State University found that the state could collect up to $403.6 million in annual tax revenue from recreational cannabis sales if voters approve the ballot measure.
There have been numerous attempts by the Ohio State Assembly in recent years to pass legislation legalizing adult-use cannabis in the state, with the most recent being a bipartisan bill filed this past May. However, none of those efforts progressed beyond a few initial committee hearings, prompting one of the legislative sponsors, Rep. Jamie Callender (R), to despair that he believes the voters will have to decide the fate of legal cannabis in Ohio ultimately.
If voters approve the legalization measure this November, Ohio will become the 24th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. And since the midwestern power is a traditional barometer for most political issues in America, the ballot initiative could have far-reaching ramifications for the rest of the country, meaning that with Election Day a little over 60 days away, Ohio’s winds of change could end up blowing much harder and with a more substantial impact than anyone could’ve predicted just a few years ago.