Support for marijuana legalization jumps among voters in Arizona poll

PHOENIX — Support for marijuana legalization has jumped among Arizona likely voters, according to polling data released Tuesday.

OH Predictive Insights’ survey of 600 likely voters found the level of support had increased from 51% in December to 62% in early July, according to a press release.

Additionally, while 42% of respondents had opposed cannabis legalization in December, the new data showed just 32% of likely voters believe recreational marijuana use ought to remain illegal.

“Four years ago, marijuana legalization nearly came to fruition,” Mike Noble, chief of research at OH Predictive Insights, said in a press release.

“And less than four months before Election Day, Arizona is on the cusp of allowing the adults to use recreational pot.”

In 2016, Arizona voters narrowly shot down Proposition 205, which would have legalized possession and consumption of marijuana.

Among those who were found to favor pot legalization the most were nonparents (68%) and parents of children under 18 (65%).

Urban voters, suburban voters and rural voters were all also found to support recreational cannabis use by a margin of at least 61%.

According to Noble, a lack of organized financial opposition could be a primary reason marijuana support appears to be growing among likely voters.

“Unlike 2016, no credible group has raised significant money to oppose the marijuana legalization and that could be the biggest difference in 2020,” he said.

Despite the measured increase in support for marijuana legalization across various constituencies, 52% of Republicans surveyed oppose legalizing pot use — the largest group in Arizona against the proposal.

The Democratic Party was found to be pro-pot by a 58-point margin.

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