FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 22, 2016

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

New Poll: Three Out of Four Ohio Voters Support Amending the State Constitution to Make Medical Marijuana Legal for Patients With Debilitating Conditions

Public Policy Polling survey finds 74% in favor and only 22% opposed as advocates prepare to launch a campaign in support of a constitutional ballot initiative that would allow seriously ill patients to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Approximately three out of four Ohio voters support amending the state constitution to make medical marijuana legal for patients with terminal or debilitating conditions, according to a new poll by Public Policy Polling.

The survey of 672 randomly selected Ohio voters was conducted February 17-18, just as advocates are preparing to launch a campaign in support of a constitutional ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. It found 74% of voters in favor and only 22% opposed with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%. The full results are available at http://bit.ly/1Vt3vdA.

“It’s become pretty common knowledge that marijuana can be incredibly beneficial in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions,” said Mason Tvert, a spokesperson for Ohioans for Medical Marijuana (OMM), a committee that has been formed to support the forthcoming initiative. “It’s not surprising that a vast majority of voters agree patients should be allowed to consume it if their doctors think it could be helpful. There are few laws still on the books that are as unpopular as those that prohibit sick and dying people from accessing medical marijuana.”

OMM is currently working with local advocates to draft the initiative and expects to initiate the petitioning process later this month. If the petition drive is successful, the measure will appear on the November ballot.

“Ohio’s current marijuana policy is antiquated and inhumane,” Tvert said. “We hope to give voters an opportunity to change that this November. We’re confident that most Ohioans will support a well-written initiative that gives seriously ill people the right to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it.”

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 10 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.