The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s Health Issues Poll found 90 percent of Kentuckians support medical cannabis legalization in the state, including 95 percent of Democrats, 92 percent of independents, and 90 percent of Republicans. In 2012, the organization found 78 percent supported the reforms.
The poll also found 59 percent support for allowing adults to buy and use cannabis “under any circumstances” – up from 38 percent in 2012; while 49 percent of respondents supported recreational cannabis legalization, up from just 26 percent in 2012. Use “under any circumstances” enjoyed bi-partisan support – 68 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents, and 51 percent of Republicans. Just 38 percent of Republicans supported legalization for recreational purposes, along with 54 percent of independents and 60 percent of Democrats.
The pollster also found that four in 10 Kentuckians know someone who “regularly uses” cannabis.
In 2018, a medical cannabis bill stalled in the House Judiciary Committee and while another medical cannabis bill was prefiled in the state at the beginning of the legislative session, no further action has been taken on it, according to a WLKY report. That bill received a 16-1 vote in the Judiciary Committee last year and more than 60 representatives committed to vote for it if it came to the House floor during this year’s session, according to the report.
Another bill to legalize recreational cannabis was prefiled in Kentucky for this session last December, according to WLKY.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who served as Attorney General prior to his election, said on the campaign trail that he would vote for a constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in the state.
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky poll was conducted from October 16, 2019 to December 6, 2019 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. The poll included a random sample of 1,559 adults from throughout Kentucky interviewed by telephone, including 468 landline interviews and 1,091 interviews with cell phone users.
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