If polls mean anything at all, Florida is going to be legalizing medical marijuana come next year.
In March, a University of North Florida poll said 74 percent of Floridians support and will vote "yes" for Proposition 2 in November, which would legalize the use of medical marijuana.
On Monday, Quinnipiac University released a poll that finds 88 percent of Florida voters support the amendment. This coming on the heels of Charlotte's Web, a low-THC strain of medical cannabis that helps children with epilepsy, passing the Florida Senate.
See also: Florida Medical Marijuana's Biggest Opponents and Threats
"If Vegas were giving odds on medical marijuana becoming legal in Florida, the bookies would be betting heavily," says assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, Peter A. Brown, via a release.
In addition to seeing the majority supporting the legalization of medical weed, a good portion of those polled say they'd support allowing adults to legally possess small amounts of pot for recreational use by a 53-42 percent majority.
More men than women favored recreational weed, 58 to 38 percent, while women seem divided on the issue, with 48 percent for and 46 percent opposed.
Recreational marijuana seems to be more popular with younger voters and got a more conservative approach the older those polled got.
Voters 18 to 29 years old support recreational marijuana 72 to 24 percent, while voters aged 30 to 64 support it in smaller margins. Polled voters who are over 65 years old opposed 61 to 33 percent.
Of course, we're probably a long way off from any kind of recreational weed being legalized in Florida. Though the Quinnipiac poll numbers are interesting.
That's not for lack of trying either. In March, Sen. Dwight Bullard filed a bill that, had it passed, would've allowed Floridians who are 21 or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot in addition to allowing folks to cultivate up to six marijuana plants. Ultimately, under this law, weed would be treated the same way as alcohol. It wouldn't be sold to anyone under 21 and would be sold by licensed businesses only. Also, like booze, it would be illegal to consume it on the streets.
The bill, of course, died.
Still, the passing of Charlotte's Web and the constant polls showing a majority of Floridians supporting the legalization of medical marijuana is a step forward for those who want to see it come to fruition.
Even in the face of seemingly strong opposition, the real challenge for proponents of medical marijuana would seem to be getting people to the polls come November.
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