News

Actions

Republicans out of step with US voters on key issues – including marijuana, Quinnipiac poll finds

Posted at 6:32 PM, Feb 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-24 20:34:55-05

DENVER – Voters across the country largely oppose several key issues coming from the Trump administration – including enforcing federal laws against marijuana in states where it’s already legal, according to a new Quinnipiac poll released Friday.

“By wide margins, American voters oppose several key proposals by President Donald Trump and/or Republicans in Congress, ranging from across the board tax cuts to oil pipelines to the wall on the Mexican border,” a Quinnipiac poll official said in a prepared statement released with the findings.

The hot-button issue that concerns Coloradans the most is, of course, the issue of legalized marijuana.

A total of 59 percent of U.S. voters said pot should be legal in the U.S., compared to just 36 percent who oppose its legalization nationwide.

Republicans are opposed to the idea 61 to 35, according to the findings.

Voters also approve legalized marijuana for medical purposes, the poll found – 93 percent of voters, to be exact.

Following Thursday’s comments from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer where he said he expects the Department of Justice to take action against states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Quinnipiac found nearly three-quarters of voters oppose such measures.

Voters across party lines, as well as across all genders, education levels, age and racial groups were adamantly opposed to the government getting its hands in the booming recreational marijuana industry.

“The government should not enforce federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana use, voters say 71 - 23 percent,” pollsters found.

But what do voters think of President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court?

Results from earlier this month up until Thursday show voters are split 50-50. Voters who disapprove of Gorsuch’s nomination also show they’re split at around 30 percent.

From February 16 - 21, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,323 voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research. 

---------

Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.

Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.