Texas Poll Finds 62% Voter Support for Cannabis Legalization

A recent poll by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs found that 62% of Texas residents support legalizing the sale and use of adult-use cannabis, Houston Public Media reports. The poll, which surveyed 1,200 adults and had a 2.38% margin of error, found majority support for legalization among both Democrats (71%) and Republicans (53%).

Public support was even higher for other reform options: 69% of the survey respondents said they would support decriminalizing low-level cannabis possession, and 79% said they would support legalizing and regulating medical cannabis for “a wide range of medical purposes with a doctor’s prescription.”

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said last year some companies have been taking advantage of a loophole in the state’s 2019 bill to allow the sale of consumable hemp products and that the banning of hemp-derived THC products would be a top priority for lawmakers. And in January, AG Commissioner Sid Miller endorsed the lieutenant governor’s plan to ban intoxicating hemp products, while calling on lawmakers to expand the state’s medical cannabis program.

The poll found that 55% of respondents, including 61% of Republicans and 48% of Democrats, support the proposed hemp THC ban. The pollsters also noted that 70% of Gen Z respondents supported the hemp THC ban, compared to 46% of the Silent Generation/Baby Boomer cohort and 49% of Gerneration X, the pollsters noted.