In a new poll released by Public Policy Polling, Massachusetts voters support a proposal to legalize medical marijuana in the Bay State by a 53%-35% margin.

Bay State voters will have the chance to turn this poll into a reality in November, when they vote on An Initiative Petition for a Law for the Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana, an MPP-backed measure that has been certified for the November ballot. The bill would legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts, and set up a state wide dispensary system.

The poll, conducted from March 16-18, also shows anti-marijuana crusader Martha Coakley leading the pack of 2014 gubernatorial candidates with 49% favorability.  Coakley, currently the Attorney General of Massachusetts, has worked to circumvent the effectiveness of the 2008 law that decriminalized possession of marijuana in Massachusetts.  Coakley successfully rallied many cities and towns in the Bay State to pass additional local ordinances that increased the $100 fine for possession of marijuana to an average of $300 to $400 by exploiting a loophole in the law.

READ MORE:  Medical Marijuana Continues to Poll Well in Massachusetts
The Daily Chronic, March 28, 2012