A Siena College poll in July found 49 percent of New Yorkers support legalization of marijuana for recreational use, while 47 percent were opposed.

“Our task is not to persuade people. That was done already. Our task is to wake people up to tell them there is a viable pathway to legalizing marijuana in New York State and deal with it in a rational way and in a way that’s unprecedented,’’ Dewald said.

He described himself as an investor who has had financial holdings in start-up cannabis companies, including some that bid several years ago on the first round of licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana in New York.

Opponents of both the constitutional convention and marijuana legalization efforts said Dewald offers another incentive for voters to reject Proposal 1 next month.

“It’s a clear reason why I’m opposed to having a constitutional convention because you never know what whacky ideas will come of it, and this is one of them,’’ said Mike Long, chairman of the state Conservative Party.

A splintered cause

Restrict & Regulate in New York State has done organizational work with some of the pro-Proposal 1 group, trying to organize supporters.