Poll: 53% of Adults Say Medical Cannabis is ‘Essential’ Service

According to a YouGov poll, 53 percent of U.S. adults believe medical cannabis dispensaries should be considered an essential service as states shutdown businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. The poll found just 26 percent didn’t think medical cannabis should be considered essential and 21 percent said they didn’t know.

The majority of all adults under 55-years-old polled said medical cannabis should be essential, while just 47 percent of those 55-plus agreed. Democrats and those who described themselves as “other” politically overwhelmingly believed that medical cannabis should be considered essential, 62 percent and 64 percent, respectively. The majority – 52 percent – of independents also said cannabis should be considered essential, but just 43 percent of Republicans agreed.

Support for medical cannabis as an essential service was highest in the Northeast (57 percent), followed by the West (56 percent), the Midwest (53 percent), and the South (50 percent).

As of Tuesday, 32 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have issued stay-at-home orders, while three other states and one territory have closed non-essential businesses in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Every state that has issued a stay-at-home order has allowed medical cannabis dispensaries to remain open and operational as “essential” businesses; although, many have implemented rules such as social distancing, curbside pickup, or delivery.

Among states with recreational legalization, only Massachusetts has shut down adult-use sales.

The YouGov poll was conducted on March 25 and surveyed 5,369 adults.