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Poll: Most Ohioans Support Marijuana Legalization

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows a majority of Ohioans support legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.

The Quinnipiac poll shows 84% of Ohioans favor making medical marijuana legal and 52% favor full legalization. Lydia Bolander, a supporter of ResponsibleOhio, one of the groups that wants to legalize marijuana under specific rules and guidelines, says she’s not surprised.  
 
Bolander “The polling is fairly consistent with what our internal polling has shown which is that Ohioans know that marijuana prohibition has failed and they are ready for reform.  
 
Bolander says her group has collected about 50,000 of the nearly more than 306,000 valid signatures it needs to be put the issue on this fall’s ballot. Sri Kavuru is with another group, Ohioans to End Prohibition, which is organizing a marijuana legalization ballot issue next year.  
 
Kavuru “Over 100 have offered to sign up as well. We have been meeting with and speaking to donors of all sizes.”  
 
But if any group is successful in putting the issue before voters, there’s no guarantee Ohioans would use it. Only 14% of those surveyed in this poll say they would probably or definitely use marijuana if it becomes legal.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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