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 The telephone survey conducted by Quinnipiac University showed 52
percent of some 1,298 voters polled this month view legalization as
a positive for the state.
Colorado and Washington became the first U.S. states to legalize the
possession and use of recreational cannabis in voter initiatives in
2012, and the first retail pot shops opened in Colorado in January.
"Voters overall have a positive view of the Colorado marijuana
experiment," the university said in a statement accompanying the
poll results.
A majority think legalized pot will increase personal freedoms, and
likewise do not think cannabis legalization has made Colorado roads
less safe or "eroded the moral fiber" of the state, the poll showed.
Nearly half of those polled said they had tried marijuana, but just
15 percent said they have used pot since commercial sales have been
allowed. But among Republicans and Colorado voters over age 65, some
68 percent said legalization has been bad for the state.
While the poll showed a majority of people support legalized pot, 52
percent said they would not vote for a candidate who consumes
cannabis more than twice a week, said Tim Malloy, assistant director
of the poll.
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"Colorado voters are generally good to go on grass, across the
spectrum, from personal freedom to its taxpayer benefits to its
positive impact on the criminal justice system," Malloy said. "But
if you are a politician, think twice before smokin' them if you got
‘em," Malloy said.
The same poll also showed that 61 percent of Colorado voters approve
of same-sex marriage. A state constitutional amendment defines
marriage as a union of one man and one woman, but civil unions are
allowed under a law passed last year.
The poll, conducted between April 15 and April 21, has a margin of
error of 2.7 percentage points.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Diane Craft)
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