BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii has contracted QMark Research & Polling to conduct a study of voter attitudes towards the proposed idea of marijuana use for medicinal purposes.

A total of 703 telephone interviews were conducted Statewide from February 3, 2000 to February 13, 2000. The sample was randomly generated using QMark’s Random Digit Dialing Program. All respondents were screened to ensure they are registered to vote in the State and had in fact voted in the last major election held in 1998. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.7 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. The data was weighted to reflect estimates of voter demographics on each island.
 
 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

"A solid majority (77%) of Hawai`i voters are in favor of "the Hawai`i State Legislature passing a law in Hawai`i to allow seriously or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes if supported by their medical doctor." Strong support is fairly universal across most of the major demographic segments in the state. Even among the least supportive demographic group -- Republicans -- 59% are favorable. A solid majority among all ethnic groups and islands support the idea.
 
 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
 
 

ALLOWING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

A solid majority (77%) of the registered voters polled favor the passing of a law that would allow the seriously or terminally ill the use of marijuana for medical purposes as recommended by a physician.

Support for this measure is fairly universal among most of the major demographic segments highlighted in the data tables.
 

• Among respondents who we’ve termed "very likely voters" or those who say they’ve voted in all or most of the elections since they’ve been eligible to vote and have voted in the last major election in 1998, 77% favor allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes as recommended by a physician.

• Support is strong for the passing of this legislation on Oahu as well as the Neighbor Islands.

• Over half the Republicans polled and solid majorities of both Democrats and Independents favor medicinal marijuana.

• Support for this measure is solid among each of the major ethnic segments in the State. Eighty-three percent of the Caucasians polled are in favor of allowing medicinal marijuana. This sentiment is shared by 75% of the Japanese voters polled. The lowest scores are found among Filipino voters where roughly two-thirds (63%) favor this form of treatment.

DEGREE OF SUPPORT

Later, respondents were asked to measure their degree of support on this issue. Those who had an opinion were asked whether they were strongly or only somewhat in favor of their previous stance. Fifty percent "strongly favor" allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes. Another 25% are at least somewhat in favor of this measure. At the opposite end, 14% strongly oppose allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes while another 6% are just somewhat opposed to the idea.
 

• Support for this measure is weakest among Maui voters. Among this area segment, solid support measures just 36%. By comparison, 63% of Big Islanders are strongly in support this legislation.

• Among the major ethnic segments Caucasian and Hawaiian voters tend to be the strongest proponents of this measure. At the opposite end, support is "softer" among AJA and Filipino voters.

• Male respondents are stronger supporters of this form of treatment than are their female counterparts. Fifty-six percent of the men polled are strongly in favor of this measure compared to just 45% among female respondents.

The primary argument favoring this proposal is marijuana’s perceived ability to make comfortable the lives of the seriously and terminally ill. Thirty-five percent support this measure because they believe marijuana acts as an effective pain reliever. Thirty percent believe the drug will aid the terminally ill while 8% suggest it will help with cancer patients. Eighteen percent offer conditional support so long as the drug is used only for legitimate medical purposes.
 
 

	THOSE WHO FAVOR ALLOWING MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA
To ease pain	35%
Aid the terminally ill	30%
Support it if it’s only used for medical purposes	18%
Other	8%
Aid cancer patients	8%
Aid glaucoma patients	2%

Base = 553.
 

OTHER ARGUMENTS

In this section voters were read a list of six statements or arguments supporting the use of marijuana for medical purposes. They were then asked whether each was a very convincing reason to support this issue, a somewhat convincing reason to support this issue or not convincing as a reason. In addition, respondents who rated one or more statements as being "very convincing" were then asked which was the MOST convincing. The table on the following page shows the percent that rated each as being "very convincing" as well as the percent that rated each as being the MOST convincing reason of the six.
 
 

	MOST convincing reason	"very convincing" as a reason
Marijuana can reduce pain, nausea and muscle spasms in cases where other medications have failed	50%	54%
Doctors, not the government, should be the ones to determine whether marijuana is an appropriate medicine for the treatment of certain illnesses	25%	53%
Patients should not be arrested for using marijuana for medical reasons	11%	49%
Voters in 7 states and the District of Columbia recently passed initiatives allowing the use of medical marijuana when recommended by a physician	6%	30%
In states where medical marijuana has been legalized, use rates by teens have not increased	4%	27%
Since the effects of smoked marijuana can be felt within minutes after inhilation, it is easy for the patient to control the dosage	3%	24%

Marijuana’s ability to manage pain, nausea and muscle spasms is clearly viewed as the most effective of the six arguments tested. Roughly half of those who selected at least one of the statements as being a convincing argument chose this statement as having the most merit. Placing a distant second is the belief that doctors and not the government should be the ones to determine the best treatment methods. The latter is an especially strong argument among Republican voters.
 

ARGUMENTS AGAINST ALLOWING MEDICAL USE UNAIDED

Registered voters who are initially opposed to this proposal are primarily concerned that marijuana is an illegal drug. Many are of the opinion that allowing marijuana for medical purposes will only make the drug more accessible causing greater abuse. 
 
 

	THOSE WHO OPPOSE ALLOWING MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL USE
It is an illegal drug	27%
Opportunities for abuse	21%
Other	11%
Other legal drugs are better/ available	10%
Benefits are not yet proven	6%
Marijuana will become more accessible	4%

Base = 142.
 

OTHER ARGUMENTS

In this section voters were read a list of six statements or arguments opposing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. They were then asked whether each was a very convincing reason to oppose this issue, a somewhat convincing reason or not convincing as a reason. In addition, respondents who rated one or more statements as being a "very convincing" reason were then asked which was the MOST convincing. The table on the following page shows the percent that rated each as being a "very convincing" reason to oppose legalization as well as the percent that rated each as being the MOST convincing reason of the six to oppose allowing marijuana for medical purposes.
 
 

	MOST convincing reason	"very convincing" as a reason
We should wait for more research on the safety and effectiveness of marijuana as medicine, then let the FDA decide	23%	27%
Permitting medical use of marijuana would send the wrong message to our children about marijuana. It will suggest that marijuana use is okay and more of them will use it	22%	23%
There is a federal law prohibiting the prescribing of marijuana for medical purposes	15%	21%
This action will open the door to making recreational use of marijuana legal	14%	21%
While marijuana may be useful, it is not necessarily more useful than other already legally available substances	12%	17%
Smoking marijuana is too dangerous to lungs and other organs to be permitted	12%	23%

Of the six statements tested there is no clear favorite among the voting public. Twenty-three percent felt the statement regarding the need for more information and testing was the most convincing of the six while another 22% feel the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes would send the wrong message to Hawaii’s youth.
 

• When examining the results from just those who OPPOSE this measure, we find the primary reason they feel the way they do is the fear it will send the wrong message to Hawaii’s youth. Placing a distant second is the belief that there are already other drugs that are legally available.

EFFECTS OF POTENTIAL ARGUMENTS ON VOTERS
 
 

	Initial Vote	After Positive Arguments	After Negative Arguments	Final Vote
Favor	77%	79%	76%	78%
Oppose	21%	20%	22%	20%
Undecided	1%	1%	2%	2%

During the course of the research Hawaii voters were asked four times how they felt about this issue. They were asked once at the outset of the interview, twice during the middle of the interview after being read arguments both favoring and opposing this piece of legislation and a final time at the conclusion of the interview after hearing both sides of the argument. The research indicates voters have very clear views regarding allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes and were not swayed by any of the arguments presented during the course of the interview.

A solid majority of Hawaii voters remain committed in their support of marijuana for those that are seriously or terminally ill.