Majority of Utahns Support Legalizing Recreational Marijuana, Poll Finds
A recent poll commissioned by a medical cannabis advocacy group has found that a majority of Utahns would support a citizen ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that 52% of voters would support such an initiative, while 38% would oppose it and 9% were undecided.
The poll’s findings suggest that attitudes towards cannabis in Utah have shifted significantly since the state legalized medical cannabis in 2018. However, the group behind the poll, Wholesome Co., a medical cannabis provider, does not plan to push for recreational marijuana legalization. Instead, they want to focus on improving Utah’s medical cannabis program to make it easier for qualifying patients to access and reduce barriers that have forced some to turn to the black market or seek out recreational cannabis in other states.
The poll’s results may serve as a warning to the Utah State Legislature on future cannabis legislation, particularly as lawmakers consider future bills. This past session, lawmakers passed a modest expansion of the medical cannabis program, but the bill faced opposition from social conservatives who have long opposed legalizing cannabis in Utah.
Two of Utah’s most powerful politicians, House Speaker Mike Schultz and Senate President J. Stuart Adams, have already signaled their opposition to recreational marijuana legalization. They argue that expanding beyond medicinal purposes raises serious concerns and that Utah’s current program is effective and well-balanced.
The poll also found that support for recreational marijuana legalization varied by demographic group, with liberals, moderates, independents, and non-LDS voters more likely to support it, while Latter-day Saint voters and conservatives were more opposed. The poll’s findings suggest that any future campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Utah would need to overcome significant headwinds, particularly among traditionalists and social conservatives.
