Poll: 53 Percent of West Virginians Support Medical Marijuana, 63 Percent Think It's Safer Than Oxycontin
A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and released by the Marijuana Policy Project finds that 53 percent of West Virginians support legalizing medical marijuana for "seriously and terminally ill patients" who have a doctor's recommendation. The poll also finds that 63 percent of West Virginians think marijuana is a "safer treatment for debilitating pain" than Oxycontin, abuse of which has been rampant in Appalachia for over a decade.
MPP's announcement of the poll results included the news that West Virginia state Rep. Mike Manypenny will introduce medical marijuana legislation in 2013.
Considering how hard the state's been hit by prescription drug abuse, majority support for legalizing any drug is a big deal. But the real surprise is in the crosstabs:
When it comes to decriminalization of recreational pot, legalization of medical pot, and the drug's safety compared to Oxy, millennials and baby boomers are practically on the same page. When the 65+ crowd ages off the planet, will there be any generation-wide resistance to pot?