Florida Voters Overwhelming Support Legal Medical Maijuana

Florida voters support 88 - 10 percent allowing adults to legally use marijuana for medical purposes, if a doctor prescribes it. Support is over 80 percent among all listed groups, including 84 - 13 percent among voters over 65 years old.

By a smaller 53 - 42 percent majority, voters support allowing adults to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use. There are gender, age and partisan gaps:

Men support so-called recreational marijuana 58 - 38 percent, while women are divided, with 48 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed; Voters 18 to 29 years old support recreational marijuana 72 - 24 percent, with voters 30 to 64 years old in favor by smaller margins and voters over 65 years old opposed 61 - 33 percent. Support is 59 - 34 percent among Democrats and 61 - 36 percent among independent voters, with Republicans opposed 64 - 33 percent.

Only 45 percent of Florida voters admit they've tried marijuana. Among voters 50 to 64 years old, 62 percent admit smoking pot, more than any other group.

Marijuana is equally as dangerous as alcohol, 43 percent of voters say, while 39 percent say it is less dangerous and 12 percent say it is more dangerous.

Marijuana use does not lead to the use of other drugs, voters say 54 - 38 percent.

"If Vegas were giving odds on medical marijuana becoming legal in Florida, the bookies would be betting heavily," said Brown. "With almost nine in 10 voters favoring legalization for medical purposes, and bills allowing such use advancing in the State Legislature, the odds seem pretty good Florida may join the states which already have done so."

From April 23 - 28, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,413 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research.

For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter.

38. Do you support or oppose allowing adults in Florida to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use?

AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Support 53% 33% 59% 61% 58% 48% 72% 59% 58% 33% Oppose 42 64 34 36 38 46 24 38 37 61 DK/NA 5 3 7 4 4 6 4 3 5 6 Wht Blk Hsp Support 53% 52% 52% Oppose 42 44 43 DK/NA 5 3 6

TREND: Do you support or oppose allowing adults in Florida to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use?

May 05 Nov 21 2014 2013 Support 53 48 Oppose 42 46 DK/NA 5 6

39. Do you support or oppose allowing adults in Florida to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it?

AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Support 88% 80% 93% 89% 87% 88% 92% 89% 88% 84% Oppose 10 16 6 10 11 9 8 9 10 13 DK/NA 2 4 1 1 1 2 - 2 2 3 Wht Blk Hsp Support 87% 88% 94% Oppose 11 11 4 DK/NA 2 1 1

TREND: Do you support or oppose allowing adults in Florida to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it?

May 05 Nov 21 2014 2013 Support 88 82 Oppose 10 16 DK/NA 2 3

40. Keeping in mind that all of your answers in this survey are confidential, have you, yourself ever happened to try marijuana?

AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Yes 45% 37% 48% 49% 54% 36% 44% 50% 62% 23% No 54 62 51 50 44 62 55 49 36 76 DK/NA 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 Wht Blk Hsp Yes 47% 45% 35% No 52 55 63 DK/NA 1 1 2

41. Do you think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol, less dangerous than alcohol, or about equally as dangerous as alcohol?

AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ More 12% 20% 7% 11% 13% 11% 4% 9% 10% 21% Less 39 21 46 45 46 33 67 49 37 18 Equally 43 53 42 39 37 49 26 40 46 52 NEITHR ARE(VOL) - - - - - - - 1 - - DK/NA 5 7 5 4 4 6 3 1 6 8 Wht Blk Hsp More 14% 7% 9% Less 36 49 47 Equally 46 34 42 NEITHR ARE(VOL) - 1 - DK/NA 5 8 3

42. Do you think that for most people, the use of marijuana leads to the use of other drugs, or don't you think so?

AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Yes 38% 57% 32% 31% 34% 41% 18% 35% 35% 53% No 54 34 61 62 60 50 77 61 58 34 DK/NA 8 9 7 7 6 9 5 4 7 13 Wht Blk Hsp Yes 38% 35% 38% No 53 58 57 DK/NA 8 7 4