Public support for pot legalization has grown steadily in polls since the Marijuana Policy Project began surveying Rhode Islanders attitudes toward marijuana in 2012.

Fifty-nine percent of Rhode Islanders — nearly three out of every five residents — support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a new poll commissioned by Regulate Rhode Island, the arm of the Marijuana Policy Project leading the local push for legalization.

The poll conducted by Raleigh, North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling surveyed a random sample of 759 registered voters. Conducted from Jan. 27 to 31 — nearly three months after voters in Massachusetts and Maine voted to legalize the drug — the poll has a margin of error of 3.6 percent.

Public support for pot legalization has grown steadily in polls since the Marijuana Policy Project began surveying Rhode Islanders attitudes toward marijuana in 2012. At that time, 52 percent of voters supported legalization. The group's last survey was conducted in 2015, when statewide support for legalization was reported at 57 percent.

Regulate Rhode Island director Jared Moffat said he's not disappointed that support for legalization hasn't increased by a larger margin. He noted that Massachusetts voters passed legalization with 54 percent support last November.

Lawmakers in the Bay State are now scrambling to make changes to the law. Massachusetts has already pushed back the opening of retail pot shops from January 2018 to July 2018. Proposed legislation would push back the sale of edible forms of marijuana, cut back the number of plants residents could grow at home, and increase the tax rate.

While those types of changes could affect the details of legislation considered in Rhode Island, Moffat said it doesn't change the reality that "if our legislature doesn't pass a bill this year, we're going to fall behind."

Legislation to legalize the drug is expected to be filed this week by Providence Democrats Rep. Scott Slater and Sen. Josh Miller. Unlike Massachusetts and Maine, Rhode Island is not a voter-initiative state, meaning citizens can't introduce constitutional changes by petition. To date, major changes in marijuana policy have been enacted by the General Assembly.

House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed have both said they're on the fence about legalization. Neither has stated full support or opposition. Gov. Gina Raimondo has said the issue needs to be more thoroughly vetted this year in light of legalization in surrounding states.

Mattiello's home district of Cranston registered 58 percent support of legalization but with a 7-percent margin of error, according to the poll. Newport, Paiva Weed's hometown, registered 64 percent support with 7.9-percent margin of error. (She also represents Jamestown, which was not broken out in the poll).

jbogdan@providencejournal.com

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