Dispensaries Double In Two Months
Approval of dispensaries declines as they are more common
TORONTO May 17th,
2016 - In
a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 804 Toronto
voters, almost one quarter say they live in a neighbourhood with a marijuana
dispensary (23%), and this percentage has doubled since we last asked this
question just two months ago (March 23 - 11%). Living in a neighbourhood with a
dispensary is common to the youngest (29%), the very wealthiest ($100K to $250K
- 31%), in the downtown (41%) but not so much in North York or Etobicoke (13%
each). Those with children are slightly more likely to share their
neighbourhood with a dispensary (27%), as are Olivia Chow voters from the last
election (33%).
Most don’t know if dispensaries are legal businesses
The plurality doesn’t know
whether dispensaries are legal or not (42%), while those saying they are not
(32%) now slightly outnumber those who say they are legal (26%). Two months
ago, the larger group thought they were legal (27%) and the smaller group
thought they were not (18%). The proportion who did not know has declined
significantly from two months ago (55%) to today (42%).
Approval of dispensaries slips
Two months ago, the
majority said marijuana dispensaries should be allowed to operate in Toronto
(57%) and 3-in-10 thought they should not (30%). Today, the proportion
approving of these dispensaries has declined to slightly less than half (48%),
while the proportion against them has increased to more than a third (36%).
Approval is common to the youngest ((55%), males (53%), the wealthiest ($100K
to $250K - 64%), in the downtown (53%) and in the old town of York (61% -
caution: small sample size), Olivia Chow voters (61%) and those who live in a
neighbourhood with a dispensary (58%).
One half agree with mayor - growth of dispensaries is “alarming”
One half of Toronto voters
agree with the mayor that the growth in the number of dispensaries is
“alarming” (53%), while 3-in-10 do not agree this is the case (31%). Those
alarmed are most likely to be the oldest (63%), females (57%), wealthier
households ($60K to $100K - 58%), in Etobicoke, where there are few reported (67%),
but not as much in the downtown, where most are located (49%), among mothers of
children under 18 (61%), the least educated (58%), those who approve of John
Tory (58%) and the police chief (59%), those who do not share their
neighbourhood with a dispensary (59%), but not so much those who do (47%), and among
Doug Ford (60%) and John Tory (62%) voters
Three quarters agree with mayor on need for rules and
regulations
Fully three quarters of
Toronto voters agree with the mayor’s call to regulate where dispensaries can
do business, keeping them away from schools, community centres and each other
(76%), while as few as one sixth do not agree (16%). Calling for regulation is
common to the oldest (81%), the wealthy ($80K to $100K - 83%), in Scarborough
(81%), among mothers (85%), those approving of the chief of police (81%), John
Tory voters (84%). Interest is less high among Olivia Chow voters (64%) and
those who live in a neighbourhood with a dispensary (69%).
“It appears that, while
one half still accepts the right of these places to dispense their wares, even
in their neighbourhoods, the majority also accepts that there need to be
regulations in place,” said Forum
Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
