A new poll shows a majority of New Yorkers support both the medicinal and personal use of marijuana, POLITICO reported.
According to the Quinnipiac University survey released on Monday, 88 percent of voters support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes while only 9 percent oppose it. Additionally, 57 percent of voters support the legalization of small quantities of marijuana for personal use, compared to the 39 percent that do not.
"Medical marijuana is a no-brainer for New York State voters, and they also would follow Colorado in legalizing marijuana for fun," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
He added that the survey demonstrated a gender gap in opinion on marijuana, with more men supporting it's legalization than women. However the biggest difference is between age groups, with 83 percent of people aged 18-29 saying yes and 55 percent of people aged 65 and up saying no.
The poll was conducted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 10 with 1,488 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
In his State of the State address last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he would allow up to 20 hospitals to prescribe marijuana for medicinal use under a 1980 law that allows for the state to research experimental drugs. According to the Star Gazette, at least 10 hospitals have expressed interest, including University of Rochester Medical Center, the White Plains Hospital, and the Montefiore system.
While the nation's opinion continues to lean toward legalizing marijuana, a Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month showed that half of Colorado residents believe their state's image is being tarnished by their new law.
The survey demonstrated 51 percent of voters think the new law is negatively affecting the state's reputation, while 38 percent disagree and 10 percent are unsure.
The new law, enacted on January 1, allows residents to sell marijuana and grow up to a dozen plants in their home. In the poll, more than seven in 10 participants said they wouldn't mind if a neighbor was growing it in their house.
"Coloradans don't mind if their neighbors grow a little grass in their living room, but the prospect of big time grow houses next door is a turnoff," added Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement with the poll's release.
