New Poll Shows North Carolina is Heavily In Favor of Medical Cannabis

Residents in North Carolina have spoken, and they want to legalize medical cannabis. A new poll conducted by Elon University, found that 80 percent of individuals surveyed approve the legalization of medical cannabis, with only 17 percent opposed.

Among the 506 registered North Carolina voters polled in April, Democratic and Independent voters were the most likely supporter of medical cannabis with 83 percent approving but not by much; a surprising 73 percent of Republican voters also supported legalizing medical cannabis.

When asked about legalizing the use of recreational cannabis the results were not as unanimous. 51 percent of those polled still oppose recreational use while just 45 percent approve, with millennials possessing the bulk of that support. There were also disparities among the genders with 53 percent of men in support of legalizing recreational use and just 38 percent of women.

If the polling numbers are any indication of where North Carolina stands regarding the use of medical cannabis, they could possibly become the next state to get on board. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy, as North Carolina seems steadfast at keeping cannabis out of the state. According to Creative Loafing Charlotte, there has been a bill regarding the legal use of medical cannabis filed every session for the past five years, and it has failed in a committee every time. There are two identical bills currently being filed this session, HB-185 and SB-648 that call for the legalization of medical cannabis. The bill states that by legalizing medical use, revenue for the state would skyrocket to figures as high as $250 million over a four year period. This money could go towards a number of critical services desperately needed in the state.

In the unlikely occurrence that HB-185 and SB-648 pass in the North Carolina General Assembly, the fate of legal medical cannabis will be in the hands of state voters.