Tag Archives: marijuana

Marijuana, polls

Marylanders Strongly Support Legalizing Marijuana

By Adam Pagnucco.

Part Two of Goucher College’s latest poll of Marylanders is out and one of the questions it asks is this: “Do you [support or oppose] making marijuana legal for recreational use in Maryland?” Here are the results on this question from the poll’s crosstabs. The margin of error is 3.8% for all voters and is higher for subsamples.

All adults

Oppose: 28%
Support: 67%
Sample size: 725

Women

Oppose: 31%
Support: 63%
Sample size: 383

Men

Oppose: 26%
Support: 71%
Sample size: 340

Registered voters

Oppose: 29%
Support: 66%
Sample size: 654

Democrats

Oppose: 18%
Support: 77%
Sample size: 352

Republicans

Oppose: 47%
Support: 50%
Sample size: 171

Unaffiliated

Oppose: 34%
Support: 60%
Sample size: 115

Age 18-34

Oppose: 16%
Support: 79%
Sample size: 219

Age 35-54

Oppose: 25%
Support: 74%
Sample size: 249

Age 55+

Oppose: 42%
Support: 50%
Sample size: 257

Black

Oppose: 21%
Support: 74%
Sample size: 217

White

Oppose: 33%
Support: 63%
Sample size: 442

Other races

Oppose: 22%
Support: 68%
Sample size: 65

No college degree

Oppose: 25%
Support: 70%
Sample size: 443

College degree

Oppose: 33%
Support: 62%
Sample size: 283

Montgomery/Prince George’s

Oppose: 24%
Support: 73%
Sample size: 232

Central/Baltimore Metro

Oppose: 26%
Support: 67%
Sample size: 333

Outside urban corridor

Oppose: 40%
Support: 57%
Sample size: 160

Conservative

Oppose: 42%
Support: 54%
Sample size: 203

Moderate

Oppose: 30%
Support: 65%
Sample size: 315

Progressive

Oppose: 11%
Support: 84%
Sample size: 180

Children in household

Oppose: 23%
Support: 73%
Sample size: 259

No children in household

Oppose: 31%
Support: 63%
Sample size: 362

Share
Marijuana

Marijuana Friday Vote

The bill to decriminalize marijuana use passed the Maryland Senate today by a vote of 36-8. The bill was sponsored by Sens. Zirkin and Kittleman.

Voting YEA: Miller (D), Astle (D), Brinkley (R), Brochin (D), Conway (D), Currie (D), DeGrange (D), Feldman (D), Frosh (D), Glassman (R), Jacobs (R), Jennings (R), Jones-Rodwell (D), Kasemeyer (D), Kelley (D), King (D), Kittleman (R), Klausmeier (D), Madaleno (D), Manno (D), McFadden (D), Middleton (D), Montgomery (D), Muse (D), Peters (D), Pinsky (D), Pugh (D), Ramirez (D), Raskin (D), Reilly (R), Rosapepe (D), Shank (R), Stone (D), Young (D), and Zirkin (D).

Voting NAY: Colburn (R), Dyson (D), Getty (R), Gladden (D), Hershey (R), Mathias (D), Robey (D), and Simonaire (R)

Not Voting: Benson (D), Edwards (R), and Forehand (D).

The bill now goes to the House of Delegates for consideration. The major challenge in the House is getting the bill past Judiciary Chairman Joe Vallario (D), who is not keen.

Share
Marijuana

Marijuana Decriminalization Advances in Senate

On March 7, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 8-3 to report favorably on SB 364, a bill to make possession of marijuana a civil rather than criminal offense, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D 11, Baltimore). Sens. Frosh (D), Brochin (D), Forehand (D), Jacobs (R), Muse (D), Raskin (D), Shank (R), and Zirkin (D) voted in favor. The three opposed were Gladden (D), Hershey (R), and Stone (D). Not a very partisan vote.

Today, the Senate accepted two amendments offered by Chris Shank (R 2, Washington). The first amendment allows courts to sentence offenders to drug treatment programs. The second requires any monies collected to go toward drug treatment and education. Both were accepted by the sponsor and the bill passed second reading in the Senate without a recorded vote.

The marijuana decriminalization bill now moves towards third and final reading in the Senate. At this point, no more amendments may be offered, so third reading will likely consist of an up or down vote on the merits of the bill as it stands. Obviously, the House of Delegates would need to pass the same bill for it to become law.

Share