National Poll Reveals Unpopularity of Obama Administration Interference In Medical Marijuana States

In a just-released poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, three quarters of American voters — 74 percent — want the Obama administration to respect individual state medical marijuana laws.

Only 15 percent of voters nationwide support using federal resources to arrest and prosecute those who are acting in compliance with their state medical marijuana laws.

The poll informed voters that medical marijuana is legal with a doctor’s recommendation in 16 states as well as the District of Columbia, and in some of those states it is legal for licensed and tightly regulated individuals to grow and sell marijuana to qualifying patients. Respondents were then asked if President Obama should respect the medical marijuana laws in these states, or continue to use federal resources to arrest and prosecute individuals who are acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws.

“These results are consistent with the clear and growing body of evidence that documents substantial voter support for the legalization of medical marijuana,” said Larry Harris, a principal with Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

Support for keeping the federal government out of state medical marijuana issues was universal across all demographics. With respect to political affiliation, 75 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Republicans, and, notably 79 percent of Independents said that President Obama should respect state medical marijuana laws.

Even among the least supportive group (those identified as over 65 years of age), 64 percent were in favor of respecting state law.

“The results of this survey demonstrate that there is virtually no support in the country for the Obama administration’s crackdown on state medical marijuana laws,” said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Across all demographic and ideological groups, the American people strongly believe the president should respect state medical marijuana laws, as he promised he would when he campaigned to be president.

“It is clearly time for President Obama to stand up to the members of his administration who are carrying out the morally wrong and politically unpopular policy of denying patients safe access to this beneficial medicine,” Fox said.

The nationwide poll of 1,000 registered likely voters was conducted May 7 to 11, 2012, and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project

here [PDF] The full poll and demographic breakdown can be viewed

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