Cannabis consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with the Trump administration’s handling of marijuana policy. A recent poll shows major declines among the demographic, as advocates continue to wait for broader reform and a hemp ban looms.
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The survey from NuggMD and Marijuana Moment revealed that 29 percent of cannabis consumers either approve or strongly approve of the administration’s actions on the plant. That’s a major drop from the July quarterly poll, when support was 48 percent.
Approval stood at a high of 73 percent in May, weeks after the administration moved state-legal medical cannabis to Schedule III.
The most recent results show 20 percent of consumers disapproving of Trump’s cannabis policy, up from 13 percent in July and seven percent in May. Respondents saying they had no opinion or were neutral stood around 51 percent, up from 40 percent in the last poll and 20 percent in May.
NuggMD director of content Tyler Elson told Marijuana Moment the sharp decline shows consumers are growing increasingly disappointed with the lack of movement on marijuana, particularly as advocates await a decision on full rescheduling and an impending ban on hemp products looms.
“Party divides, hearing delays, and mixed messages on hemp have all reminded consumers that U.S. politicians have a long history of failing to deliver on cannabis policy change,” he said.
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The survey of 510 cannabis consumers in states with legal marijuana markets also examined how federal legalization could influence their views of the administration. Fifty-four percent said they would support the administration somewhat or significantly more if it were to fully legalize cannabis
46 percent said their current level of support would remain unchanged if the plant were to be legalized.
With the midterm elections approaching, the findings raise questions about whether frustration over federal cannabis policy could influence voters’ views of Trump-aligned candidates. A separate Nugg MD poll commissioned by pro-cannabis advocacy nonprofit NORML revealed nearly eight in ten people surveyed said a candidate’s view on cannabis will “significantly” or “somewhat” influence their decision on the ballot.
Elson noted that “Cannabis consumers are an increasingly powerful voting bloc with the numbers to swing elections,” but it will take significant action from the administration to recover support among the demographic.
