Muncie, IN: A majority of Indiana residents say that marijuana should be legally regulated like alcohol and nearly 80 percent of Hoosiers support taxing it, according to statewide polling data released by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University.
Fifty-two percent of respondents said that cannabis "should be regulated like alcohol." Forty-five percent of respondents opposed legalization. Among self-identified Democrats, 64 percent of respondents backed regulation. Forty-nine percent of self-identified Republicans did so.
Hoosiers support for taxing cannabis was significantly higher. Seventy-eight percent of respondents, including strong majorities of both major political parties, answered ‘yes’ to the question, "Should we tax marijuana like alcohol/cigarettes?" Only 19 percent of respondents opposed the idea.
Under state law, first-time marijuana possession offenses of under 30 grams are punishable by up to one-year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Subsequent offenses are classified as felonies, punishable by up to 3 years incarceration.
Six hundred randomly selected Indiana residents participated in the survey, which has a margin of error of +/- 4.8 percent.
Statewide polls have recently reported similar levels of support for legalizing marijuana in Arizona, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Texas.
According to an October 2013 nationwide Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans believe that marijuana should be legal, an all-time high.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director or Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director, at (202) 483-5500.