California Ready for Marijuana?

Mark Baldassare, one of California’s best opinion researchers and head of the foundation-supported think tank, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), published his latest poll showing 53 percent of Californians believe that marijuana should be legal, the highest reported percentage in the last five years (2010). Among likely voters, 55 percent favored legalization, which is the percentage it passed by in Colorado in 2012. Numerous advocates and entrepreneurs are attempting to get a recreational marijuana proposal on the California ballot in 2016. Legal marijuana was defeated in California in 2010 and Governor Jerry Brown remains skeptical.

California Gov. Jerry Brown

The PPIC poll also showed:

• Gov. Brown has a 55% approval rating after his easy November re-election – about 10 points higher than President Obama’s national approval, but the same as his California approval.
• The public hasn’t bought off on the Governor’s $68 billion high-speed rail project, only 47% favor it and 48% oppose it.
• To get more state funding, 52% support the university system capping tuition, a Brown position, with only 18% saying give the UC money even if they raise tuition. Twenty-seven percent wouldn’t give them any more money period.