A wide majority of Texans, including those who identify as Republicans, back the legalization of recreational marijuana, according to a new statewide poll on justice reforms.
A Nov. 11 survey from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University found that 67% of Texas residents support legalizing the sale and use of recreational weed. Of those, 46% support it strongly and 21% somewhat.
When it comes to those who reject the idea, 20% say they're strongly opposed, and 13% say they're only somewhat opposed.
The poll was first reported on by the online news site Marijuana Moment.
According to the UH-TSU survey's demographic breakdown, 51% of respondents who identified as Republicans said they're in favor of legalizing. That compares to 79% of Democrats and 70% of independents who said they're in favor.
The poll results arrive after a marathon session of the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature that was largely disappointing for marijuana reform advocates.
Lawmakers approved an expansion of the state's medial cannabis program to people suffering a wider range of afflictions. However, advocates argue that the amount of allowable THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana, is still too low to help some patients.
What's more, several broader bills addressing marijuana reform failed to make it to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott.
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