Christine Jordan Sexton
Two new polls are showing different outcomes for a proposed amendment that would allow adults in Florida to possess and use recreational marijuana.
One new poll from Florida Atlantic University contends that a proposed amendment that would legalize marijuana is falling short of the 60% support needed to pass, although it also found a significant number of voters remain undecided about the initiative.
The poll, conducted by FAU’s PolCom Lab and the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies in collaboration with Mainstreet Research, found that 56% of those surveyed are in support of Amendment 3. But the poll does show there is room for support to grow, as 15% are unsure how they will vote on the marijuana amendment.
But a poll from USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN released this week found that the amendment had 63% support and only about 3.2% of voters are undecided.
The FAU poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, while the USA Today poll had a 4.4-percentage-point margin of error.
Steve Vancore — a spokesperson for Trulieve, which supports Amendment 3, and a pollster himself — criticized the FAU survey for not asking voters the right question. The FAU poll asked, “On the upcoming ballot amendment 3, which would legalize marijuana for adults 21 years and older, which way are you considering voting?”
“We don’t take any poll that doesn’t not ask the actual ballot language and suggest that readers don’t take it seriously either,” Vancore told Florida Politics. “Valid poll after valid poll including the poll from the opposition have consistently shown amendment 3 polling in the mid 60%.”
Meanwhile, the FAU poll showed that Amendment 3 has the most support with voters between the ages of 18 and 49.
While 69% of that age cohort in support of legalizing pot for adults, the support among voters over the age of 50 shows that only 47% of those polled supported Amendment 3.
Luzmarina Garcia, assistant professor of political science at FAU, said the new results released Wednesday show a better understanding of the proposed constitutional amendment.
In April, FAU also polled on both initiatives. At that time, the measures had 49% approval, which shows a gain of 7 points over the last four months, she said.
Support also differs among political parties and race, but not gender, per FAU.
For instance, 74% of Democrats support Amendment 3, while just 37% of Republicans support the initiative, which has been vociferously opposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The amendment is supported by 63% of independents, according to the poll result
Moreover, 58% of Black voters support the amendment, with White voters (both college-educated and those without college degrees) closely behind with roughly 56% supporting the constitutional amendment.
Hispanics were the largest group in opposition, with 35.4% saying they would not support Amendment 3.
3 comments
Michael S
August 14, 2024 at 12:38 pm
FAU ranks #85 in historical polling accuracy. Suffolk ranks #7. FAU has some homework to do as to how to conduct polls.
Brian Kelly
August 14, 2024 at 1:20 pm
Bologna. This is just another lame prohibitionist attempt at voter suppression of those who would go vote YES on 3. The vast majority of ALL Americans, including the vast majority of ALL Floridians STRONGLY support the full legalization of cannabis nationwide .In each and every single state. The prohibitionist view on cannabis is the view of an ever rapidly shrinking lunatic fringe minority of the American people.
Every major poll in the nation shows that The Vast Majority of Americans favor The Legalization of Cannabis Nationwide!
“Americans Favor Legalizing Cannabis Support surged 10 percentage points in past year””
-Gallup Poll
“A solid majority of voters nationwide favor legalizing and regulating cannabis similar to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are currently regulated. Most also dont believe it should be a crime for people to smoke cannabis in the privacy of their own homes”
-Rasmussen Poll
“Americans favor making cannabis legal for adults, according to the findings of a CNN/ORC International survey released late Monday. The percentage is the highest ever reported by the survey, which has been tracking public opinion on the issue since 1973, and marks a 12 percentage point jump in support since the last time pollsters posed the question in 2012”
-CNN Poll
Brian Kelly
August 14, 2024 at 1:21 pm
There is absolutely no doubt now that the majority of Americans want to completely legalize cannabis nationwide. Our numbers grow on a daily basis.
The prohibitionist view on cannabis is the viewpoint of a minority and rapidly shrinking percentage of Americans. It is based upon decades of lies and propaganda.
Each and every tired old lie they have propagated has been thoroughly proven false by both science and society.
Their tired old rhetoric no longer holds any validity. The vast majority of Americans have seen through the sham of cannabis prohibition in this day and age. The number of prohibitionists left shrinks on a daily basis.
With their credibility shattered, and their not so hidden agendas visible to a much wiser public, what’s left for a cannabis prohibitionist to do?
Maybe, just come to terms with the fact that Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think, and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide!…and Support All Cannabis Legalization Efforts!