ALBANY – Most New Yorkers would just say yes — to medical marijuana.
A new poll out today finds 57 percent of New York voters favor legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, while 33 percent oppose the move.
The Siena College survey also found a split on whether to allow fracking (37-36 percent) and mixed martial arts (32-26 percent). Young voters resoundingly support “ultimate fighting,” and men favor it while women are split, the poll found.
Gov. Cuomo — who once pushed repeal of the state’s drug sentencing laws – has said legalizing medical marijuana raises concerns and needs too much time for study to resolve before the June 21 end of this election-year legislative session. But legislative proponents plan a press conference in Albany today to push for their bill anyway.
The May 6-10 telephone survey of 766 registered state voters found Democrats and independents strongly in support of the plan, with Republicans and self-described conservatives divided.
Voters also narrowly favor criminalizing synthetic pot, 41-38 percent, the poll found.
Republicans, conservatives and voters in New York City’s suburbs support high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing. Democrats, liberals and Upstaters oppose the controversial practice of blasting a high-pressure water, sand and chemical mix to capture natural gas trapped in upstate’s Marcellus Shale.
The state has said fracking could create more than 50,000 new jobs.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

