NC Poll finds majority support for medical marijuana, casinos

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – As state lawmakers prepare to return to Raleigh this spring to deal with some unresolved issues from last year’s session, a new poll Monday shows a majority of voters support bills legalizing medical marijuana and allowing casinos on non-tribal land.

The latest poll released by Meredith College found overwhelming support for medical marijuana legalization as 78 percent of voters said they’re in favor of that compared to 18 percent who are opposed.

“North Carolina is one of only 12 states without some form of legal medical marijuana,” said David McLennan, who oversees the Meredith Poll. “With the public strongly behind such a law and most within the medical community supporting this legislation, it seems like this might be a good time to pass such a bill.”

During last year’s session in a 36-10 vote, the Senate passed a bill called the Compassionate Care Act, which would legalize marijuana for specified debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy and PTSD. It would only be allowed with a doctor’s prescription.

While a House committee held a hearing on the bill, it never made it to the floor for a vote.

House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) told CBS 17 last year that he would only bring the bill up if a majority within the GOP supported it, which he said they did not.