© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Polls Show Support For Medical Marijuana Takes A Dip

medical marijuana
Mark / Flickr

Support for a medical-marijuana amendment on Florida’s November ballot has fallen, according to several recent polls. The Yes On 2 campaign remains confident it will get enough votes to be adopted.

A Tampa Bay Times poll shows only 48% of likely voters say they’ll vote to legalize medical marijuana. Even a University of North Florida poll, which has consistently shown the highest numbers of supporters among likely voters, dropped from about 80% to 68%. But United for Care’s Yes On 2 campaign manager Ben Pollara says he isn’t surprised by the results of the polls.

“You know, I would agree that support has probably slipped in the pasts couple of weeks, but that tends to happen when you face a statewide barrage of misleading negative ads, and are outspent by a 10-to-1 basis over 2 straight weeks in the state," Pollara says.

Pollara says his campaign is just starting to spend money on a statewide ad campaign and voter outreach.

“I think if we can get across our message, not even on a one to one basis of what the opposition is doing, but get it out there in some substantial form, I think we’re going to pull this thing out,” Pollara says.

Constitutional amendments need 60% plus one vote to be adopted. Amendment 2 would authorize patients to use medical marijuana under a doctor’s care for debilitating conditions.

Donald DeBevoise is originally from Winter Park, Florida and now studies English and economics at Florida State University. He is a member of the Society for Collegiate Journalists at FSU. Donald also writes for a student-based magazine called The Last Word. He aspires to enter the journalism field upon graduating. In his spare time he enjoys reading, writing, hiking and jogging.