KING 5 poll: The key support for legalizing marijuana? Baby boomers

An effort to legalize marijuana in our state begins with comfortable lead.  And it’s baby boomers who are key to that support.

In a new KING 5 poll, 57% of registered voters statewide say they’d support a propsoal to legalize possession of up to ounce of marijuana, and subjecting marijuana to a 25-percent tax.  In the new SurveyUSA poll, 39% oppose the idea and only 4% are not sure.

Opinions are pretty much the same between men and women, and pretty similar geographically—with slightly more support in central Puget Sound than eastern Washington.

But here’s what’s really interesting:  The baby boom factor.  Take a look at support by age group:

18-34: 56%

35-49: 59%

50-64: 69%

65+: 48%

Yes, baby boomers, who came of age in the 60s, are most likely to support a state initiative to legalize marijuana.  Their parents are still slightly opposed, and their kids don’t feel as strongly.

The poll of 613 registered voters has a margin of +/- 4%.