Voters now oppose marijuana legalization, latest poll finds

California voters now oppose Proposition 19, the measure to legalize marijuana, by 49% to 44%, according to the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California.

The poll found a sharp reversal from last month, with support dropping 8 percentage points. The previous poll found that 52% of likely voters favored the measure. That poll, coming after others found that about half the electorate backed legalization, had encouraged supporters and helped bring in high-dollar donations.

The latest poll found a drop in support across all demographic groups, but most steeply among Latino voters. In September, 63% backed it. Now, 51% oppose it.

The latest poll shows that men are evenly split. In September, men favored the measure by 16 points. Women now oppose the initiative  50% to 41%. The earlier poll found them slightly in favor.

Independent voters strongly backed the measure, 65% to 31%, in September, but they now oppose it, 49% to 40%. Democrats support the measure by 56%, down 7 percentage points from last month. Republicans reject it by 66%, an increase of 4 percentage points.

The earlier poll showed overwhelming support among likely voters between ages 18 and 34. Support in that age bracket dropped from 70% to 59% this month. Support also slipped among voters 35 and older.

Much of the change appears to have been driven by evaporating support in Southern California. In September, 56% of likely voters in Los Angeles County and 52% in other Southern California counties supported the measure. This month, those percentages slipped to 41% and 42%.

The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,067 likely voters Oct. 10-17. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

-- John Hoeffel

Comments

[Hairy Carrion]

I don't believe it.

[ET]

Propaganda or lies I can't tell which.

[Jazmyn]

That is great news, no one understands it. there should be some extensive research done on it, to make sure all the hype is what it is, and not someones pipe dream that tax payers, and kids will have to struggle with in the years to come.

[DJ]

Boo Hoo, Druggies will Lose!

[My Truth Hurts]

Voters will decide on election day what they do or do not oppose. Articles like this, besides being a waste of time, are part of the PR campaign against 19, along with recent public comments from Sheriff Baca, President Obama and AG Holder to demoralize the supporters and suppress their vote.

Don't believe it! California is leading the nation against the insane drug war! Legalize it now!

[John P.]

Yes on Prop 19.

Why does our society allow and celebrate alcohol but suppress a healthier alternative? It is a hypocrisy which is harming our country. As a parent I do not understand why other parents refuse to acknowledge this. Alcohol can kill, marijuana does not.

Our own bodies tell us that marijuana is better for us than alcohol. Our brains have receptors for cannaboids not for alcohol.

So why does our government suppress research on cannabis by limiting legal access to a single source? The current government has again denied the appeal by researchers to open a second facility in order to relieve the back log of requests.

Research on marijuana has shown it to be beneficial especially when dealing with chronic pain. Why does our society suppress research which would have led to my mother receiving relief from the unending pain of peripheral neuropathy?

The most poignant information I found in researching the proposition related to Ronald Reagan whose administration continued the suppression of marijuana. In 2006, Scripps Research Institute issued a press release which said,

“Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found that the active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, inhibits the formation of amyloid plaque, the primary pathological marker for Alzheimer's disease. In fact, the study said, THC is "a considerably superior inhibitor of [amyloid plaque] aggregation" to several currently approved drugs for treating the disease.”

For our collective health- end the hypocrisy now. Our children will thank us for it.

Yes on Prop 19

[jack]

"Public Policy Institute of California"

Almost sounds official.

[EgadsNo]

What a shock shifting polls, particularly amongst a group of people who know virtually nothing factual about the subject. Who needs to get rid of local crime and promote a drug that makes people live longer happier lives?

[ingrasam]

The cartels oppose legalization 100%-0%.

[jason b.]

i wonder if that was an electronic or a human poll? my suspicion is it was the latter, in which case people are proven to be more likely to lie on this issue.

it seems to me the LAT is doing everything it can to defeat this initiative.

it's a very imperfect proposition - and it's sure to be boggled down with federal intervention, should it pass - but i believe the national conversation on eliminating this senseless prohibition needs to begin...

...and that's why i'm voting YES on 19!

please join me.

[schlock]

naw too big of a swing. i think this story is a plant.

[kwirk]

Interesting that the Republicans oppose it by a 2 to 1 measure. I thought they were supposed to be the party of smaller government and personal freedom.

[Blooch]

Haven't you heard? "Dewey defeats Truman!"

Remember what Cardinal Ximinex (Michael Palin) in the comedy skit “The Spanish Inquisition”, by Monty Python, said: “Well…we shall see.”

[cooler heads]

I hope and pray that our common sense continues through election day!

[Truthseekr]

Pollsters don't poll cell phones. Many progressives and young people no longer use landlines. And those that do, have Caller ID and don't answer calls from unknown numbers. So these numbers are skewed.

They gonna be surprised in November.

Yes, we cannabis! The golden state needs the tax revenue and the billion dollar savings from no longer making cops and judges and jails deal with the guy who smokes a doobie after work!

[Greg]

People must be listening to all the authority figures threatening to have a temper tantrum if the measure passes.

[AngelsDucksFan]

Has to be an outlier, things don't change this dramatically without something major happening . . . and nothing major happened.

[Martin]

That's a significant swing, and could be due to the polling sample margin of error. But that's still quite a bit. Or a different sample of respondents

Is the US Chamber of Commerce running ads in the Latino community? Are the cartels threatening Mexican-Americans who might vote for legalization? Are ads against legalization being run by the CA Beer & Wine Distributors Association? Women typically complain about "doper boyfriends" who sit around and smoke, so no surprise there...

Prohibition doesn't work, folks! But it does work for the drug cartels and Big Pharm, companies that face losses in sales post-legalization.

For example, why take an Ambien when you can take a couple of hits of skunk weed, and fall asleep within about 30 minutes -- and wake up without the drug hangover. Of course, there's the trip the the fridge before almost passing out.

[Brandon]

Maybe these people should at least TRY pot before voting on something they have no knowledge of.

[RR]

YAWN -- Tomorrow, another poll will find the opposite results. Just go out and vote Nov 2nd and ignore all these silly polls.

YES on 19

[jahn]

why is no one talking about the possible multibillion dollar hemp industry which we could revolutionize, and create more jobs than these candidates could dream of. i mean, by voting and implementing the taxation of cannibas, we may very well change the world! the feds response is a moral and public safety argument, but certainly not a fiscal one. imagine every piece of paper in this state made from cannabis instead of raping a forest somewhere. thats one of a bunch of possibilities with this plant, and it is simply not bein g adressed enough! am i wrong here?

[Ed in Socal]

OK, people. You know what you have to do....get out and vote, and do everything you can to get others to follow suit.

Yes on 19!

[LA Observer]

I find this hard to believe. The power of media to sway opinion...i hope the people see through the smoke screen and vote for the people, YES on 19!!!

[housewife]

Wouldn't it be interesting to ask "why?" of voters who have changed their minds? It's not a sufficient explanation to say that they live in Southern California!

[rob]

I just took a poll and here are the results:
In favor of legal pot: 90 %
Against legalization of pot: 10%
Rush Limbaugh listeners against legal pot: 100%
Californians with an education for legal pot: 100%