Exclusive Poll: Medical marijuana would pass in Florida today

An exclusive Bay News 9/News 13 Florida Decides Poll found that voters appear ready to say yes to medical marijuana.

Millions of dollars were spent on a campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Florida in 2014 but voters narrowly defeated that amendment.

Now there's a push to get that amendment back on the ballot for 2016, and according to our Florida Decides exclusive statewide poll, it looks like voters may be ready to legalize medical marijuana.

The poll asked registered voters would they support or oppose a state constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana.

Sixty-two percent said they would support it, while 30 percent said they would not and 8 percent were unsure.

Jump to view the complete poll results ▼

The amendment would need more than 60 percent approval to pass.

The battle over legal marijuana has been controversial in Florida. 

“I believe we are all compassionate souls,” said Renee Petro with CannaMoms, a group from the Brandon area pushing for legalization for medical purposes.

Petro said passage would allow her to get medical help for her son, who suffers from Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome.

“After seeing your child suffer and repeatedly seeing your child suffer, it is natural to anyone to want to do anything to help their loved one alleviate their pain and suffering,” said Petro.

Meanwhile, detractors like Ellen Snelling with the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance say, “The way to go is not marijuana.”

Snelling says legalizing marijuana would cause a big problem among young people.

“The more marijuana that's available, then children will think it's OK,” Snelling said. “They hear it's a medicine and they start using it even more and we already have a problem here in Florida.”

Our poll also asked whether voters would support or oppose a state constitutional amendment to legalize all forms of marijuana.

Forty-four percent support that.

But 47 percent do not want to legalize the drug completely. Ten percent are not sure.

Also in our poll, young men were more in favor of legalizing all forms of marijuana.

Most of those saying no were women, aged 65 years and older.

Here's a look at the poll results.

Medical Marijuana

Q: Would you support or oppose a state constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana?

Recreational Marijuana

Q: Would you support or oppose a state constitutional amendment to legalize all forms of marijuana?

Casino Gaming

Q: Do you support or oppose legalizing casino gaming in Florida?

About the Poll

The poll was conducted Wednesday, Oct. 28 – Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015 by SurveyUSA for Bay News 9 and News 13.

3,000 state of Florida adults were interviewed. Of the adults, 2,712 were registered to vote in the state of Florida. Of the registered voters, 2,400 were determined to be likely to vote in the Nov. 8, 2016 general election. Of the registered voters, SurveyUSA determined that 922 were likely to vote in the Republican primary, and 826 were likely to vote in the Democratic primary, both on March 15, 2016.

This research was conducted using blended sample, mixed mode: respondents reachable on their home telephone (69% of registered voters) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer. Respondents not reachable on a home telephone (31% of registered voters) were shown a questionnaire on their smartphone, tablet or other electronic device. Barack Obama carried Florida (the state was "blue") in both 2008 and 2012.

NOTE: Figures may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.