One Quarter Have Smoked Pot In Mississauga
One twentieth live near a marijuana dispensary, plurality don’t
approve
OTTAWA, May 24th, 2016 – In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™
among 722 Mississauga adults 18 and over, just less than one fifth say they
have used marijuana in the past (18%) and a further one tenth prefer not to
answer rather than deny it (9%), which suggests as many as a quarter or more of
Mississaugans have smoked pot (27%). Claimed consumption of cannabis is common
to the youngest (under 35 - 25%) and the boomers (55 to 64 - 25%), males (22%)
rather than females (14%), the very wealthiest (($100K to $250K - 34%), in the
northwest quadrant of the city (west of Hurontario, north of Eglinton - 26%),
among renters (27%) rather than owners (15%) and among those who disapprove of
Mayor Crombie (27%). As a comparison, in recent polling, past usage was higher
in Vancouver (April 25 - 40%), Toronto (March 23 - 36%) and Ottawa (May 19 -
34%).
One twentieth live near a dispensary
One twentieth of
Mississaugans share their neighbourhoods with a marijuana dispensary (5%), and
this is most common among the youngest (10%), the least wealthy (often a proxy
for youth, less than $20K - 13%, $20K to $40K - 12%) and the very wealthiest
($100K to $250K - 12%), These dispensaries appear to be most common in the
northeast quadrant of the city (14%) and in the neighbourhoods of those who
have used marijuana (13%). In comparison, in Toronto, in March, one tenth
shared their neighbourhoods with dispensaries (11%), but by May this had
doubled to 23%. In Vancouver, in April, the majority had a dispensary in their
neighbourhood (58%), while, in May, Ottawa had dispensaries in one tenth of
neighbourhoods (9%).
One half unsure if dispensaries legal or not
One half of
Mississauga voters don’t know whether marijuana dispensaries are legal business
(48%), and among those who have an opinion, illegal (33%) outweighs legal
(19%). In comparison, a quarter or more in other cities believe they are legal
(Toronto, May 17 - 26%, Ottawa, May 19 - 25%).
One twenty fifth may have medical marijuana scrip
One fiftieth of
Mississaugans claim to have a medical marijuana card or prescription (2%) and
the same proportion prefer not to answer rather than deny it (2%), which
suggests that as many as 4-in-100 voters in the city are prescribed medicinal
marijuana (4%). Claimed status is highest among the youngest (5%), the least
wealthy (13%, often a proxy for youth), in the northeast quadrant (12%) and
among marijuana users (12%). In comparison, in Toronto and Ottawa, a similar
proportion claim medical marijuana status (2% each) while the rate is much
higher in Vancouver (8%).
“Mississauga appears
to be a healthy distance removed from the frenzied pace at which dispensaries
are opening in other cities, and it appears Mississaugans are more skeptical of
the benefits of these establishments than they are elsewhere” 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.
