| Toke of the Town. |
Medical marijuana in Connecticut has the support of 90 percent of registered voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll release today. Support is also high for licensed medical marijuana dispensaries, with nearly 70 percent of respondents saying they would want a dispensary in their town.
Voters polled also said they would favor legally allowing adults to possess and use “small amounts of marijuana for personal use” by a 52 to 45 percent margin.
The poll also looked at attitudes towards alcohol use, with 61 percent agreeing that alcohol is worse for someone than cannabis. Sixteen percent said marijuana is more harmful than alcohol and 18 percent said both were dangerous.
The biggest concern for voters seems to be underage use, with 59 percent saying that legalized cannabis would lead to more young people trying cannabis.
The poll also looked at several other issues before voters, and interestingly medical marijuana polled with higher support than putting metal detectors at the entrances of public schools and the state death penalty. Medical mariuana even came out higher than increasing the minimum wage in the state to $10.10 by 2017, which only had 72 percent support.
Less than a half-ounce is currently a civil penalty in the state, with no jail time and a $150 fine. Repeat offenders caught with a half-ounce or less face fines up to $500. Distribution or cultivation of any amount up to one kilogram is a felony charge with seven years in jail and $25,000 in fines. Connecticut currently allows for medical marijuana use, possession and cultivation of limited amounts for certain qualifying conditions.
