Seeking to add some hard numbers to an oft-debated question, a majority of residents of the Old Line State say Maryland is more of a northern state than a southern one, according to the results of a Goucher Poll released on Tuesday.
Survey respondents also weighed in on cannabis legalization, abortion access, the state’s spending habits on various budgetary categories, and the approval ratings of Gov. Larry Hogan, President Joe Biden and other elected officials.
Asked whether Maryland should be considered a southern state or part of the north, 65 percent of those responding to the poll said it is more of a northern state, while 27 percent say it’s more of a southern state.
Maryland sits below the Mason-Dixon line, and stayed out of the Confederacy due to occupying federal forces dispatched by President Abraham Lincoln. It is sometimes grouped in with Southern states for regional data tallies.
Nearly nine out of ten Marylanders want to keep abortion legal. But the 88 percent of Marylanders who support access to abortion are split evenly over the extent of that protection: 44 percent say abortion should remain legal “in all circumstances,” while 44 percent support abortion access “only under certain circumstances.”
Legalization of recreational cannabis continues to have the support of a majority of Marylanders, though that majority has mellowed out slightly to 66 percent from a record high of 67 percent in March 2021.
As he enters the final year of his second term, Gov. Hogan’s approval rating remains high. About two-thirds of Marylanders (67 percent) approve of the job Hogan is doing as governor, up slightly from his 65 percent approval rating in March.
More than half of Marylanders (53 percent) approve of Biden as president, nine percentage points lower than in March, when 62 percent of Marylanders approved of his job as president. Still, the approval is about 10 points higher than Biden’s national rating.
A plurality of Marylanders approve of the jobs of U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (44 percent) and Ben Cardin (46 percent).
Among registered Democrats, Cardin and Van Hollen each received majority support, with the senators earning 62 percent and 56 percent approval ratings, respectively.
The majority of Marylanders (59 percent) said Maryland is heading in the right direction, and 53 percent have a “mostly positive” view of the state.
Attendance at Maryland state parks has ballooned during the pandemic, and that trend remains high, according to the poll.
Of the respondents, 33 percent said they are “somewhat” interested in visiting a state park during the next year, and 51 percent are “very” interested. Meanwhile, 16 percent are not interested in visiting a state park.
“Skyrocketing visitation rates to Maryland state parks over the past two years have left the Department of Natural Resources struggling to meet the increased demand,” Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College, said in a statement. “Our results indicate that parks will continue to be a sought-after destination for many state residents over the next year. But there is a pretty clear disconnect: Despite clear pressures on the park system from increased visitation, nearly sixty percent of residents think that the amount of funding that state parks receive is ‘about right’”
The poll found that 59 percent of residents believe the state is spending the right amount on state parks, while 27 percent said the state is spending too little and 6 percent said spending is too much.
More than half of respondents (54 percent) want the state to spend more on public education.
Respondents were split fairly evenly on spending for unemployment assistance: 32 percent said too little is spent on the service, 34 percent said spending is about right, and 27 said spending is too much.
A plurality of respondents (47 percent) said spending on housing and community development is too little.
On the categories of public transportation as well as roads and highways, respondents were split again between spending being too little or about right.
The Goucher Poll surveyed 700 Marylanders by phone from Oct. 14-20. For the sample size of 700 Maryland adults, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent.
For the sample of 631 adult Marylanders identified as registered voters, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.
Cannabis consumers deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.
Plain and simple!
Legalize Nationwide!
It’s time for us, the majority of The People to take back control of our national cannabis policy. By voting OUT of office any and all politicians who very publicly and vocally admit to having an anti-cannabis, prohibitionist agenda! Time to vote’em all OUT of office. Period. Plain and simple.
Politicians who continue to demonize Cannabis, Corrupt Law Enforcement Officials who prefer to ruin peoples lives over Cannabis possession rather than solve real crimes who fund their departments toys and salaries with monies acquired through cannabis home raids, seizures and forfeitures, and so-called “Addiction Specialists” who make their income off of the judicial misfortunes of our citizens who choose cannabis, – Your actions go against The Will of The People and Your Days In Office Are Numbered! Find new careers before you don’t have one.
The People have spoken! Get on-board with Cannabis Legalization Nationwide, or be left behind and find new careers. Your choice.
The “War on Cannabis” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over a trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Cannabis”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Cannabis has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Cannabis is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less cannabis “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide! Support Each and Every Cannabis Legalization Initiative!