Illinois Voters Support Medical Marijuana
Current news regarding Illinois Voter support for medical marijuana within the state.
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS — Illinois residents favor allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes by a 68-27 percent margin according to a new poll.
The poll by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, Inc. and paid for by the Marijuana Policy Project was conducted by phone and surveyed 625 randomly selected registered Illinois voters between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16. The survey asked whether respondents believe “seriously and terminally ill patients should be allowed to use and grow medical marijuana for personal use if their doctors recommended it.”
Support was strong across the state, ranging from 70 percent in Chicago to 65 percent in downstate areas.
Majority support for allowing the use of medical marijuana by seriously ill patients was found among Republicans, Independents and Democrats. Democrats favored medical marijuana access by an overwhelming 82-14 percent margin, while Republicans supported the idea by a smaller, but still decisive, 54-41 percent margin. Independents were also strongly favorable, supporting medical marijuana by a margin of 68-27 percent.
The poll results could have a significant impact in the General Assembly this year. Bills to allow the medical use of marijuana have been introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly. A similar bill failed last year in the State Senate, but the latest poll indicates that supporting this years’ efforts could be politically helpful to legislators.
“These numbers prove what we’ve known all along: Illinoisans see this as a matter of compassion and common sense,” said John Walker, director of Illinois Compassion Action Network, an organization of patients, doctors and advocates working to pass the state’s medical marijuana law. “Our elected representatives should take note of what their constituents are telling them about the need for a law to protect our seriously ill citizens who rely on medical marijuana for some small relief from their debilitating symptoms.”
It’s common sense to be compassionate to understand and support medical marijuana.