Pennsylvania Poll Shows Legalization Unlikely to Offend GOP Voters

A recent Pennsylvania poll found that one-third of Republicans “would enthusiastically support” re-electing a lawmaker who voted in favor of legalizing cannabis for adults, according to a WESA report. The survey was conducted by Republican pollster Harper Polling for the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition and found, overall, 62 percent of likely voters support legalization in the state.

The poll found that only 9 percent of GOP voters would vote against a legislator on the basis of a vote supporting the reforms.

“Far from being an electoral drag, supporting adult use cannabis has positive effects for a Republican legislator. … Meanwhile, a third of Democrats would be more likely to vote for a Republican legislator who they knew ‘supported controlling, regulating and taxing the sale of adult use cannabis.’” – Harper Polling in a memo via WESA

Democrats and Republicans also agreed – 57 percent to 58 percent, respectively – that, if legalized, cannabis should not be sold through Pennsylvania’s state-controlled liquor stores. Between two-thirds and three-quarters of likely voters polled also preferred that the state tax the sale of cannabis “as a way to address the state’s projected budget deficit” rather than raise other existing taxes on income, sales, and businesses.

The poll was conducted between April 21 and 26, and while it was conducted for a pro-cannabis group, the overall support for legalization mirrors a Franklin & Marshall College poll from March 2019 which found 59 percent support for the reforms.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf supports legalization. Currently, a cannabis legalization bill introduced in February remains in the House Health Committee.