As Borat would say, “Great success.” In a new survey by YouGov, folks living in nine of 11 states with legal adult-use cannabis see the end of prohibition as a success of the highest order.
The survey was conducted between April 17-20 by YouGov, an international research data and analytics group based in the UK (London to be exact). It reached out to more than 32,000 Americans in states where marijuana is legal. Survey participants were asked if they thought recreational marijuana legislation was more of a success or failure, and the dramatic results speak for themselves.
Approval ratings:
- California: 59% success
- Colorado: 71% success
- Illinois: 59% success
- Maine: 47% success
- Massachusetts: 67% success
- Michigan: 47% success
- Nevada: 64% success
- Oregon: 69% success
- Washington: 65% success
Retail saturation might play a part, too. Voters in California might not be as keen on cannabis legalization, simply because a massive chunk of the state is literally devoid of cannabis retailers, especially in many rural counties and cities. And in Maine, while the state passed adult-used marijuana legalization several years ago, implementation is taking forever. Residents are still waiting for rec stores to open.
Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize marijuana way back in 2012. Alaska or Vermont wasn’t listed in the survey. YouGov noted they didn’t receive a reportable sample size from those states.
If trends continue, the popularity and approval ratings of legalization seem to increase over time. This survey indicates that while large groups of people initially voted against marijuana legalization, they eventually consider it positive in the state. Now, whether it is a result of just the passage of time or the development and improvements in a state’s retail recreational marijuana industry is something for follow-up surveys.
