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Voting/Polling on Medical Marijuana
1995-1999

Note: Poll/survey responses that "strongly support" and "somewhat support" medical marijuana are combined as "Pro to Med. MJ", responses that "strongly oppose" and "somewhat oppose" are combined as "Con to Med. MJ."

  Description of Voting or Polling Question Vote or Polled by Date Results
  N = Number of individuals polled; MoE+/- = Estimated margin of error;
Not available for all polls 		    Pro to Med. MJ Neutral or Don't Know Con to Med. MJ
41. Maine Initiative (Question 2) -
Removes state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use, possession and cultivation. 		State Vote 1999, Nov. 61% N/A 39%
42. Maine Poll -
"Do you support legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision?"

[N=400 Voters. MoE+/-4%] 		Bangor Daily News and WCSH 6 1999, Oct. 68% 3%  29% 
43. National Poll -
"Are you opposed to federal sanctions against doctors who prescribe marijuana?"

[N=708 Heads of Household. MoE+/-3.7%] 		Behavioral Research Center 1999, May 66% 7%  27% 
44. New York (state) Poll -
"Should physicians be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes to seriously and terminally ill patients?"

[N=700 registered voters. MoE+/-3.8%] 		Zogby International 1999, April 80%  not stated  not stated
45. National Poll -
"Would you vote for making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering?"

[N=1,018 adults nationwide. MoE+/-5%] 		Gallup Organization 1999, March 73% 2% 25% 
46. Minnesota Poll -
"If a patient has a debilitating illness and a doctor recommends marijuana as a medicine for that patient, the patient and doctor should be protected from civil and criminal penalties?"

[N=800]		 Mason-Dixon Research Poll 1999, March 68%  not stated not stated 
47. Minnesota Poll -
"Do you favor protecting patients who use medical marijuana from civil or criminal penalties?" 		Behavioral Research Center 1999, March 64% not stated  not stated 
48. Virginia Poll -
"Should doctors be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical use when it reduces pain from cancer treatment or for other illnesses?"

[N=514 adults. MoE+/-4.4%] 		Virginia Tech Center for Survey Research (Quality of Life in Virginia Survey) 1999 77%  not stated not stated 
49. Massachusetts Poll -
"Would you support an initiative that would allow the medical use of marijuana by patients with certain diseases, who have a doctor's recommendation?" 		Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates on behalf of Americans for Medical Rights. 1999 81%  not stated  not stated
50. National Poll -
"Should marijuana be a prescription drug?" 		Gallup Organization 1999, March 73% not stated  not stated 
  Description of Voting or Polling Question Vote or Polled by Date Results
  N = Number of individuals polled; MoE+/- = Estimated margin of error;
Not available for all polls 		    Pro to Med. MJ Neutral or Don't Know Con to Med. MJ
51. Alaska Initiative (Question 8) -
Removed state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use, possession, and cultivation. 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 58% N/A 42%
52. Arizona Initiative (Proposition 300) -
A 'no' vote will allow doctors to continue to prescribe Schedule I drugs without any further authorization from Congress or the FDA.
 [Note: A "no" vote is reflected here as "Pro to Med. MJ.] 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 57% N/A 43%
53. Colorado Initiative (Issue 19) -
Would permit the medical use of marijuana for persons with debilitating medical conditions and change state laws regarding marijuana for patients and their primary care givers. 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 57% N/A 43%
54. Nevada Initiative (Question 9) -
Would allow the use of marijuana for the treatment or alleviation of certain illnesses as recommended by a physician. 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 59% N/A 41%
55. Oregon Initiative (Measure 67) -
Removes state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use, possession and cultivation 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 55% N/A 45%
56. Washington (state) Initiative 692 -
Would allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes for "qualifying patients," including those with HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. 		State Vote 1998, Nov. 59% N/A 41%
57. Washington, D.C. Initiative 59 -
Permits patients to grow and use their own medicinal marijuana if approved by their doctors. 		District Vote 1998, Nov. 69% N/A 31%
58. Alaska Poll -
”Should marijuana be legalized for limited medical purposes?”

[N=544 Likely Voters. MoE+/-4%] 		Ditman Research 1998, Oct 60% not stated   not stated
59. Hawaii Poll -
"Do you support the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes?"

[N=400. MoE+/-4.9%] 		Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates on behalf of Americans for Medical Rights 1998, Oct. 63% 10%  27% 
60. Nevada Poll -
”Do you favor state initiative Question Number 9 – shall the Nevada constitution be amended to allow the possession and use of a plant of the genus Cannabis (marijuana) for the treatment or alleviation of certain illnesses upon advice of a physician, to require parental consent for such use by minors, and to authorize appropriate methods of supply to patients authorized to use it?”

[N=817 Registered Voters MoE+/-3.5%] 		Mason-Dixon Research 1998, Oct 52% 8 40%
  Description of Voting or Polling Question Vote or Polled by Date Results
  N = Number of individuals polled; MoE+/- = Estimated margin of error;
Not available for all polls 		    Pro to Med. MJ Neutral or Don't Know Con to Med. MJ
61. National Poll -
"Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana?"
 		Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998, March 60% not stated not stated 
62. Illinois Poll -
"Do you believe that doctors should be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical use?"

[N=850 state residents. MoE+/-3.5%] 		Center for Governmental Studies at No. Illinois University 1998, April 67% not stated   not stated
63. New York (state) Poll -
"Do you support permitting doctors to prescribe marijuana?"

[N=1,400]		 The New Yorker Magazine 1998, Jan. 85%  not stated not stated 
64. National Poll -
"Do you favor legalizing marijuana strictly for medical use?" 		Luntz Research Companies 1997, Sept. 62%  not stated not stated 
65. Florida Poll -
Survey on amendment to State constitution allowing marijuana for medical use.
[N=400 registered voters. MoF+/-4%] 		Miami Herald 1997, Sept. 63%  not stated not stated 
66. National Poll -
Survey on legalizing marijuana strictly for medical use. 		The Luntz Research Companies for Merrill Lynch and Wired magazine. 1997, Sept. 62%  not stated not stated 
67. California Poll -
”Would you vote again for proposition 215? (NOTE: Prop 215 legalized medical marijuana in California.)”
 Los Angeles Times 1997, Aug. 67%  not stated not stated 
68. National poll -
"Doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering serious illnesses? 		CBS News/The New York Times, 6/15/97 1997, June Ind: 65%

Dem: 64%

Rep: 57%

 		not stated  not stated 
69. National Poll -
"Do you think that people who find that marijuana is effective for their medical condition should be able to use it legally?"

[N=1,200 Registered Voters. MoE+/-2.8%] 		Family Research Council 1997, June 74% not stated  not stated 
70. National Poll -
"Do you think doctors should or should not be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes to treat their patients?"

[N=517 adults. MoE+/-4.5%] 		Chilton Research for ABC News 1997, May 70% 3% 27% 
  Description of Voting or Polling Question Vote or Polled by Date Results
  N = Number of individuals polled; MoE+/- = Estimated margin of error;
Not available for all polls 		    Pro to Med. MJ Neutral or Don't Know Con to Med. MJ
71. National poll -
"Do you favor allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes for seriously ill or terminal patients?"

[N=1,002 Registered Voters] 		Lake, Snell, Perry & Assoc. Research on behalf of The Lindesmith Center 1997, Feb. 60% 10% 30%
72. National poll -
"The federal government should not penalize physicians who prescribe marijuana, regardless of whether state laws permit it." 		Lake, Snell, Perry & Assoc. Research on behalf of The Lindesmith Center 1997, Feb. 68%  not stated  not stated
73. National poll -
"People who find that marijuana is effective for their medical condition should be able to use it legally."

[N=1,000 registered voters. MoE+/-2.8%] 		Commissioned by The Family Research Council 1997 74% not stated   not stated
74. National Poll -
”Do you agree or disagree that People who find that marijuana is effective for their medical needs like treating glaucoma and relieving nausea from chemotherapy, should be able to use it legally?” 		Belden Russonello & Stewart for The ACLU 1996, Dec. 83% 6% 11%
75. Arizona Initiative (Proposition 200) -
Removes state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use, possession and cultivation if with a doctor's prescription. 		State Vote 1996, Nov. 65% N/A 35%
76. California Initiative (Proposition 215) -
Removed state-level criminal penalties for medical marijuana use, possession and cultivation. 		State Vote 1996, Nov. 56% N/A 44%
77. California Poll -
"Do you support legalizing marijuana for medical use under a doctor's supervision?" 		California Field Poll 1996, Oct. 59%  not stated not stated 
78. National Poll -
"Do you favor making marijuana legally available for medical uses where it has been proven effective for treating a problem?" 		ACLU Topline Poll 1995, Nov. 85% not stated  not stated 
79. California Poll -
"Do you favor ending prohibition of marijuana for personal medical use?" 		David Binder Research 1995, March 65.5% not stated  not stated 
80. National Poll -
"Would it be a good idea to legalize marijuana to relieve pain and for other medical uses if prescribed by a doctor?"

[N=1,001 registered voters. MoE+/-3.1%] 		Belden, Russonello & Stewart on behalf of the ACLU 1995 79%  not stated  not stated

To see Votes and Polls from 2000 to Present, Click Here.

To return to the voting/polling index, Click Here.

Please send us information on any polls, surveys or voting we missed, any numbers missing and of course any you think we have wrong.

Thanks to Marijuana Policy Project, Americans For Medical Rights, The Ohio Patient Network and The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for the research and statistics they sent us for inclusion in this work.
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