(ABC4) – Utahns are strongly in favor of legalizing cannabis commercially, according to research polling conducted by Change Research and released by the U.S. Cannabis Council on Tuesday.
In a survey of 1,020 registered voters in Utah, the polling results found “overwhelming support” for the federal legalization of cannabis by a margin of 66% to 27%. The scales also tilted in favor of regulating and taxing cannabis in a similar manner to alcohol, with 73% in favor of such a measure and 20% opposed. As to whether making marijuana legal would be economically beneficial to the state, 64% felt it would be a good thing, with 26% disagreeing.
Full results of the polls, which include research among residents of Arizona and West Virginia, can be found here.
“We’ve reached an apex in our fight to end federal cannabis prohibition, and it’s clear from these overwhelming figures that Americans in Arizona, Utah, and West Virginia support legal cannabis and want their federal and state representatives to do the same,” says Steven Hawkins, Interim President and CEO and founding member of the USCC in a press release. “In anticipation of the bill from Senators Booker, Wyden and Schumer, and with the bipartisan vote in favor of legalization in the House last Congress, we are at a critical juncture in our country’s complex journey with cannabis. We urge government representatives on both sides of the aisle to consider this bipartisan public demand and vote favorably on federal cannabis reform.”
Medical cannabis is available to qualifying Utah patients who meet certain criteria and receive a card from a state-approved provider. Utah County, which opened its third cannabis pharmacy earlier this month, leads the state in cannabis cardholders by a wide margin.
