The 2024 presidential election cycle is ramping up, and for the first time in history, weed is in the spotlight. President Biden has been more vocal on the issue than ever, shouting out his administration’s review of the plant’s Schedule I status in his State of the Union. Vice President Kamala Harris even held a star-studded roundtable on cannabis reform in the White House.
While the Biden administration has yet to legalize or reschedule marijuana, it’s clear from the flurry of cannabis-centric activity the topic is going to play a crucial role in the president’s re-election campaign. It’s a smart move—according to new polling data from NuggMD, weed could be a deciding factor in November’s presidential rematch.
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Pot first, political party second
A recent survey of likely voters who consume cannabis found that 59 percent will vote for the “pro-pot” candidate in the 2024 presidential election—regardless of political party. Only 14 percent said they’re locked in for their affiliated candidate. Approximately 85 percent said cannabis policy was one of many or several issues they’ll consider when making their ballot decisions.
Taking weed out of the equation, the political affiliations were mixed. When asked if the election was between a “generic Democrat and a generic Republican,” roughly one-third said they could either way. When asked about Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden, 36 percent said they would vote for Trump, while 43 percent intend to vote for Biden.
The cannabis demographic is more substantial than ever, with 17 percent of American adults admitting they consume cannabis on a regular basis 90 percent of Americans believe the plant should be legal on the federal level. Knowing this, pot promises to be a central issue in the upcoming election.
Biden’s cannabis talk will likely get louder as Election Day nears. Recent polls show the president trailing Trump among Gen Z and Millennial voters, a crucial demographic that also happens to support legalization by a wide margin.
And while survey methodology may be flawed, the contrast is likely enough to have the Biden camp leaning in even further to pro-pot rhetoric. Data show Biden’s approval rating improved among voters who learned of his rescheduling directive. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has remained relatively quiet on the cannabis issue so far in this election cycle.
With current numbers showing the importance of pot to voters, taking a pro-legalization stance could make all the difference come November, regardless of political party.
