Just 29% of cannabis consumers now approve of the Trump administration's actions on the issue, down from 48% last quarter and 73% the quarter before, according to the latest Marijuana Moment/NuggMD quarterly tracking poll, as the federal marijuana rescheduling process continues to experience delays.
The slump is rippling into down-ballot politics. Nebraska Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lynne Walz said she would sign an executive order to expedite access to medical marijuana on "day one" of her administration, suggesting she would fire Medical Cannabis Commission members who are "slow-walking" implementation of voter-approved ballot initiatives. Two new polls of Massachusetts voters show a strong majority oppose an initiative to roll back marijuana legalization on the November ballot, while the Boston Globe editorial board has come out against the measure, saying that "prohibition doesn't work."
A new study also found that after recreational marijuana dispensaries open, nearby establishments see increases in customers, transactions and revenue. The polling slide puts the administration in an awkward spot: cannabis reform drew bipartisan voter support in several states, but stalled federal action is now costing Trump support among the very consumers who once backed his approach.