New Poll Shows Mass. Voters in Favor of Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

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Bay State supporters of legalization are riding high.

A new WBZ-UMass Amherst poll of 700 likely Massachusetts voters shows Question 4, the ballot measure that would legalize and regulate recreational marijuana in the Bay State—enjoys a 53-40 lead, with seven percent of voters still unsure. (The margin of error was around four percent.)

The same poll, however, showed that 61 percent of those voters would be bothered by people using legal pot in public. Fifty-two percent said they would be bothered by ads on TV, radio, or billboards for legal pot, and 41 percent said they would be bothered by a retail dispensary in their neighborhood.

“Asking the simple question – do you support legalization of marijuana – leads to a majority level of support,” Tatishe Nteta, associate director of the UMass Amherst poll, told WBZ’s Jon Keller. “But if you ask people to think about it, I think they still may have some reservations.”

A WBUR poll of 506 likely Massachusetts voters earlier this month showed Question with a 50-45 lead, with five percent still undecided. Voters will decide on the ballot question November 8.