A large majority of registered voters in Maryland say they support legalizing recreational marijuana use, just weeks before voters will decide the question in the November election, a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finds.
Just under 3 in 4, or 73 percent, of Maryland voters favor legalizing “the use of cannabis” for people 21 and older by next July, matching language on November’s ballot. Support for the idea is widespread, with majorities favoring it across regions, education levels, and racial, partisan and age groups. Legalizing marijuana is especially popular among young voters, with 87 percent of voters under 40 favoring legalization.
“The thing that stood out to me is the high level of support and the diversity of support. Whether you look across party, region, almost every characteristic, you see majorities supporting this,” said Michael Hanmer, the director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, which co-sponsored the poll. “That’s been the trend across the country. People have really shifted their views across time on this issue, all pointing in the direction of being more supportive.”
