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 Nearly half (49 percent) of the New York voters polled thought he
should skip the pilot step entirely and legalize its medical use
statewide, as has already happened in about 20 other states, the
Siena College Poll said.
A total of 28 percent of New Yorkers said the pilot program was the
way to go.
A slim majority of 54 percent, however, oppose following the lead of
the states of Colorado and Washington and legalizing marijuana for
recreational use; 41 percent supported such a move.
"Voters under 35 say yes, as do a bare majority of men. Democrats
and independents are closely divided but Republicans are a strong
no," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement.
"New Yorkers are not yet ready to duplicate what they see in the
Mile High City."
Cuomo announced the plan in his annual State of the State address
earlier this month, saying that he would allow up to 20 hospitals to
prescribe medical marijuana to help manage the pain and to help
treat cancer and other serious illnesses.
He said he would use an executive power to set up the program, and
that it would not need new legislation.
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Siena College spoke to 808 people registered as voters in New York
last week for the poll, which had a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Bernard Orr)
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