Poll Watch: Rasmussen Survey on Cocaine Legalization

Rasmussen Poll on Cocaine Legalization

Would you favor or oppose legalizing cocaine and regulating it in a similar manner to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are regulated today?

• Favor 11%
• Oppose 84%

If cocaine was regulated and sold only in pharmacies, would that reduce the number of drug dealers selling cocaine?

• Yes 29%
• No 59%
• Not sure 12%

If cocaine was regulated and sold only in pharmacies, would that reduce the number of people under 18 who use cocaine?

• Yes 19%
• No 63%
• Not sure 18%

National survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted May 12, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.

Inside the numbers:

Male voters are more supportive of legalizing cocaine with controls than female voters are. Younger voters agree slightly more than their elders. Men also believe more strongly than women that selling cocaine through pharmacies would reduce the number of dealers and usage by minors.

There’s little or no partisan or ideological difference of opinion when it comes to whether to legalize and regulate cocaine.

Voters under 40 are more skeptical than those who are older that selling cocaine through pharmacies would reduce use of the drug by those under 18.

Only 10% of voters with children in their home believe selling cocaine only through pharmacies would reduce cocaine usage by minors, compared to 22% of those without children in the home.