Poll Shows Ohioans Favor Marijuana

A new poll shows a slim majority of Ohioans are in favor of legalizing marijuana.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Ohioans favor legalizing marijuana 52 to 44 percent with 4 percent undecided. Executive Director of Muskingum Behavioral Health, Steve Carrel, said he doesn’t hang his hat on a lot of polls. But he said he wants to see more studies done before the measure hits the ballot.

“I’m not for or against any of it,” Carrel said. “I am pro what does the data say, and I have some real concerns when I look at the data.”

Carrel cites a recent study that found consistent marijuana use affects intellectual ability. The study found that persistent marijuana use hinders a teens intellectual ability by up to one grade level, and those are the numbers Carrel says he’s most concerned with.

“The proponents came out and said it was flawed and tried to get everybody to believe it was flawed, so they peer reviewed it again and the data shows that on the developing brain, you lose intellectual potential,” Carrel said.

Carrel does not believe that the recent Quinnipiac study has the weight people may think it has. He believes polls will be coming from both sides of the ballot measure by the time election day comes in November.