Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:18 p.m.
[A] recent Castleton Polling Institute survey found that 54 percent of Vermonters support legalizing and regulating recreational marijuana use.
That’s consistent with a poll conducted for the Marijuana Policy Project in 2014 that asked a similar question. That poll showed that respondents favored regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol, 57 percent to 34 percent.
The new Castleton survey, which reached 700 Vermonters using landlines and cellphones, was conducted Feb. 9-24. The poll was taken at the same time as a VTDigger/Castleton Polling Institute survey, but the just-released results are from additional questions posed by Castleton.
Respondents in the recent poll were asked: “Two states — Washington and Colorado — have legalized and regulated marijuana for recreational use. Do you support or oppose passing a similar law in Vermont to legalize and regulate marijuana for recreational use?”
Of those surveyed, 54 percent supported the idea with 40 percent opposed. Six percent had no opinion.
Support was particularly strong among young people with 70 percent of respondents age 18-44 (or 161 people) in favor. The results were about opposite for those 65 and older, who opposed legalization 61 percent to 30 percent.
“Clearly, the opposition remains most substantial among voters who are 65-plus and Republicans,” said Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project. “I guess some people remain nostalgic for a simpler time when you could ‘Just Say No’ and be done with the issue, but any realistic person realizes that those days are long gone — that marijuana is here to stay whether we like it or not, and we have to figure out how best to deal with it.”
Among Republicans, 73 percent were opposed and among Democrats, 62 percent were in favor. Men were more likely to support legalization, with 57 percent of men and 51 percent of women in favor.
Debby Haskins, executive director of SAM-VT, which opposes marijuana legalization, said the results indicate that Vermonter are in no hurry to legalize.
“The poll makes clear that the issue is far from top of mind for most Vermonters and that there are far more urgent matters that they feel state decision-makers need to tackle – economic issues being the primary focus,” Haskins said.
The Castleton poll also asked open-ended questions on why respondents answered the way they did.
Of the 328 supporters who responded, 36 percent cited revenue generation as the primary reason to legalize marijuana; 19 percent said they favored removing the prohibition of pot as a crime; and 18 percent said the drug was no worse than alcohol.
Of the 312 opponents who responded, 16 percent said the primary reason they were opposed was morality; 13 percent cited marijuana as a “gateway” to harder drugs.
The Castleton Polling Institute also reported a sampling of verbal responses on both sides of the issue.
One reply cited the potential medical benefits of the drug.
“Not only do I think it should have never been classified as a Schedule 1 drug, I think we would benefit from the taxes just as we benefit from those on alcohol. The older generation has a hard time accepting it, (but) I think it has a lot of health benefits. … It’s a billion dollar industry. It’s a plant for god’s sake. And keeping it out of the hands of children will be easy; we already do that with tobacco and other substances. We need to stop wasting our tax dollars locking people up for pot.”
Another said the state had gone far enough.
“Decriminalization was a huge step, and that’s sufficient. (There are) too many unknowns in a state like Vermont to make it legal. Once it happens it can’t be turned back, (and) I do not believe the financial benefits would be there.”
The Vermont Legislature will not take up a bill to regulate recreational marijuana this session but the issue will return next January, Sen. David Zuckerman, P/D-Chittenden has said.
A report by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center estimated that the state could raise $20 million to $75 million a year if pot were legalized.
No state east of the Mississippi River has legalized marijuana for recreational use, but Massachusetts is expected to file a ballot initiative next year and that state’s assembly is also considering legislation.
Zuckerman said Wednesday that the poll shows continued support for legalization and the trend is following the same pattern of approval as other social issues the state has dealt with, such as gay marriage.
“I think we have a reasonable chance to do it next year,” he said. “Certainly, if the Governor’s Office starts getting behind this more and putting pieces in place from an administrative perspective, even while we’re working on this next year, then we could ‘beat them,'” he said of the legalization movements in Massachusetts and Maine.
Immunization
The institute also polled Vermonters on childhood immunization and the majority of respondents, 68 percent, said immunization should be required and 27 percent said no.
Sixty-two percent also said schools should be allowed to prohibit nonvaccinated children from attending.
Major issue
The Castleton survey asked people what is the most important issue facing the Legislature this year.
Twenty-two percent said the economy, workplace and business climate were most pressing and 20 percent said tax and budget issues were foremost.
