Quinnipiac poll gauges marijuana acceptance in Colorado

The pollsters at Hamden-based Quinnipiac University recently waded into the details of legal marijuana in Colorado.

The poll was conducted July 10-14, six months after Colorado opened the doors to recreational use of what for most Americans remains an illegal substance.

“Coloradans are still good to go on marijuana for recreational use in private settings, but as far as letting the good times roll in bars and clubs where alcohol is served, voters say don’t smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, in a press release.

Marijuana use should be legal in members-only clubs, Colorado voters said, 66 percent to 29 percent, but not in bars and clubs and entertainment venues, according to the Quinnipiac poll.

After six months of legal marijuana use, Colorado voters said they supported the state’s legalization measure, 54 percent to 43 percent, identical to the findings of an April 28 Quinnipiac survey and down slightly from the 58-to-39 percent support Feb. 10.

Marijuana should not be legal in bars and clubs where alcohol is served, voters said, 65 percent to 31 percent. There was a small gender gap, as 34 percent of men and 27 percent of women supported the use of marijuana in a bar other than a members-only club.

Alcohol is more harmful to a person’s health than marijuana, 61 percent of Colorado voters said, while 19 percent said marijuana is more harmful and 13 percent said they are equally harmful. Alcohol is more harmful to society, 59 percent of voters said, while 22 percent said marijuana is more harmful and 14 percent said they are equally harmful.

By a 63-to-33 percent margin, voters said marijuana should not be legal at entertainment events where admission is charged. Looking at invitation-only entertainment events where no admission is charged, 49 percent said they oppose marijuana and 46 percent said it should be legal.

The poll surveyed 1,147 registered voters with a reported margin of error of 2.9 percent.