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37% of California Voters Say They've Smoked Pot
Are you registered to vote, sir? (Photo by PYTwhodgaf via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Are you registered to vote, sir? (Photo by PYTwhodgaf via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
The numbers from a new LA Times/USC poll shows that the percentage of voters in California who have tried pot are also the voters who say they're likely to approve the ballot initiative to legalize the drug in the state, according to the Times. The figures break down as follows:
Among the 1,506 registered voters surveyed May 19-26, 37% said they had tried pot -- a figure roughly consistent with federal surveys of drug use -- and that group strongly supports the initiative. The 11% who had used marijuana in the last year favored legalization by a landslide, 82%. By contrast, the 57% who said they have never used marijuana oppose the initiative.
Some other key figures from the poll:
--Gender: Male voters: 45% said they had used marijuana, 14% in the past year; Female voters, 29% said they had tried it, 8% in the past year.
--Age groups: Highest reportage usage was in 18-29 age group, next highest 45-64
--Education: Higher chance of usage for college graduate than of high school graduate
--Marital status: Higher chance among single people, lowest among married
--Geography: Residents who live North of the Bay Area are most likely to have used, those in Central Valley least likely.
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