By Kevin White, Laura McMillan, Zena Taher/KSNW-TV
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new survey released Tuesday shows relatively strong support for legalizing marijuana in Kansas. Those surveyed were asked several questions about both medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University released its Kansas Speaks Fall 2024 survey at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. The survey is co-sponsored by the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, including KSN News. For the survey, 645 Kansas adults responded to an online questionnaire between Sept. 26 and Oct. 16.
Recreational use for 21 and older to allow state taxation?
The first question about marijuana use was very specific, asking if the person supports legalizing recreational marijuana for those 21 and older so the state can tax it and bring in more revenue without raising traditional taxes.
Almost two-thirds of respondents, 65.2%, indicated they strongly or somewhat support the idea, while 18.7% were somewhat or strongly opposed.
That is a sharp increase in support since the Docking Institute began asking the question in 2017. That year, less than half of respondents, 49%, approved of legalizing recreational use for 21 and older for the purpose of taxation. However, this year’s results are down slightly from the 70.8% of support in 2021 and the 67.2% of support last year.
Voting for pro-medical marijuana candidates?
The Kansas Speaks survey has been released just one week before the general election. On Nov. 5, voters across Kansas will choose new state senators and representatives who will have the power to change Kansas statutes, including those dealing with marijuana.
The survey asked, “How likely are you to vote for a candidate who supports medical marijuana legalization?”
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Legalizing marijuana in general?
There were two final survey questions about marijuana. One asked how much the person supports or opposes legalizing medical marijuana in general. The other asked about support or opposition to legalized recreational use in general.
The results show that 72.9% are supportive of legalizing medical marijuana in general, while 12% are opposed. However, support drops to 61.4% for legalizing recreational use in general, and opposition grows to 22.3%.
Kansas is one of four states, including South Carolina, Idaho and Wyoming, where marijuana is still illegal for recreational or medical use.
Twenty-four states have legalized recreational use, including Kansas’ neighbors, Missouri and Colorado.
The Docking Institute conducts the Kansas Speaks survey to measure statewide public opinion on key issues. The Wichita Journalism Collaborative — which is funded by the Wichita Community Foundation — joined the institute as a co-sponsor of the poll.
For a complete explanation of the methodology, see page 13 of the 2024 survey.
This article was republished here with the permission of: KSNW-TV