New poll shows 49% of Colorado voters think marijuana should be legal, just 40% oppose

Evidence continues to mount that Colorado voters support ending marijuana prohibition.  According to a poll released today by Public Policy Polling:

Coloradans are even more strongly in favor of legalizing marijuana, and they overwhelmingly believe it at least should be available for medical purposes.  49% think marijuana use should generally be legal, and 40% illegal. [emphasis added]

The poll also found overwhelming support for medical marijuana, suggesting Colorado voters are not being turned off by a legally regulated system of marijuana production and distribution.

But explicitly for medical use, that rises to a 68-25 spread.  Just five years ago, a referendum to legalize simple possession by people over 21 failed by 20 points.  On the medical question, Democratic support rises from 64% for general use to 78%; Republicans rise from 30% to 50%, and independents from 54% to 75%.

This sentiment was picked up on by Scot Kersgaard of The Colorado Independent:

This flies in the face of statements made by a number of legislators over the past year that if voters knew what they were in for, they would never have approved medical marijuana in the first place. Apparently most voters aren’t bothered by the proliferation of dispensaries in the state.