If state legislators decide to put the decision in the hands of voters via a ballot initiative, the recent Stockton poll may indicate how much of a nail-biter a potential referendum could be.
“The issue really has the New Jersey electorate split — almost down the middle,” said Michael Klein, interim executive director of the Hughes Center. “There’s a lot of advocacy that needs to be done on both sides to win the day.”
The poll of 728 New Jersey adults found fault lines around age and gender when it came to the question of legalizing recreational marijuana. Sixty-four percent of respondents under age 50 backed it, while only 41 percent of people above that age did. Also, a majority of men supported legalization while only a minority of women did.
Only 15 percent of respondents said they do not use marijuana now but would if it were legalized for recreational use. Seventy-five percent of people who responded said they don’t touch the stuff and wouldn’t even if it were legal.