New Survey Shows Majority Of Hoosiers Think Weed Should Be Legal, What About Abortion Rights?

A majority of Indiana residents want recreational cannabis legalized, according to a new survey conducted by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University. Results of the 2023 Hoosier Survey demonstrate year-over-year consistency in opinions on certain issues like cannabis and abortion.

"The Hoosier Survey is the only Indiana-specific survey in the state that examines Hoosiers' opinions on a variety of national, state, and local issues," said Dr. Chad Kinsella, director of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs and associate professor of political science at Ball State. "As we move through the 2024 Indiana legislative session, we are grateful to once again provide state lawmakers with an accurate look at the issues that matter the most to Hoosiers."

2023 Annual Non-Partisan Public Policy Study 

54.2% of respondents agree that cannabis should be legal for personal use and 32.2% think only medical marijuana should be legalized. 9.8% say neither should be legalized.

These results are similar to the 2022 Hoosier Survey where 56% said adult-use cannabis should be legal, 29% chose medical and 15% believed it should not be legal.

"The findings are similar to last year's findings in that Americans and Hoosiers have shifted dramatically on their attitudes toward marijuana," Dr. Kinsella said. "Many states have recently legalized marijuana, including neighboring states like Ohio in 2023."

The survey results come shortly after Indiana's Democratic Senators Rodney Pol and David Niezgodski introduced bills to legalize medical and recreational marijuana.

Last year in November, a top Indiana lawmaker said that cannabis policy change was not likely during the 2024 legislative session. 

"No one has made a compelling case to me yet on why legalizing marijuana or having more people use cannabis in the state of Indiana is a positive thing," House Speaker Todd Huston (R) said at the time. "Until I hear that answer, I wouldn't expect a whole lot of change."

Survey results, however, show that the majority of residents seem to disagree with Huston’s view.

Women’s Right To Choose

When it comes to abortion, as many as 31.3% of respondents agreed that it should be "legal in most cases" and 27.8% selected the "legal in all cases" option. At the same time, 27.2% think it should be "illegal in most cases" and some 10.3% think it should be "illegal in all cases."

A total ban on abortion in Indiana went into effect on Aug. 1, 2023.

See Also: GOP-Led Senate Bill In Indiana Targets PTSD, Depression With Psilocybin Research For Veterans, First Responders

Photo: Courtesy of sangriana via Shutterstock