Goucher Poll Takes Marylanders' Temperature On Marijuana, Inflation, Government

MARYLAND — More Marylanders support Gov. Larry Hogan than President Joseph Biden, according to the latest Goucher Poll, which also gauged public opinion on issues from recreational marijuana to state spending.

The poll released Monday shows that 65 percent of Marylanders approve of the job Hogan is doing as governor, while 48 percent approve of the job Biden is doing as president.

About 25 percent disapprove of Hogan, and 47 percent disapprove of Biden, according to the poll.

Here is the attitude toward Hogan among Marylanders, according to the Goucher Poll:

• 65 percent approve, 25 percent disapprove
  • Among Democrats: 61 percent approve, 28 percent disapprove
  • Among Independents: 69 percent approve, 22 percent disapprove
  • Among Republicans: 71 percent approve, 23 percent disapprove

Hogan's approval rating was down three percent from October, when the Goucher Poll showed 68 percent of Marylanders approved of the job he was doing.

Here is the attitude Marylanders have toward Biden, the latest poll shows:

• 34 percent approve, 62 percent disapprove
  • Among Democrats: 68 percent approve, 26 percent disapprove
  • Among Independents: 34 percent approve, 62 percent disapprove
  • Among Republicans: 16 percent approve, 82 percent disapprove

Biden's approval ratings have gone down in Maryland by 19 percent since the 2021 poll; in last year's Goucher Poll, officials said 53 percent of Marylanders approved of the job Biden was doing, and 31 percent disapproved.

Hogan is in his final year of office and has not said what he plans to do afterward. He has said that he will not run for the U.S. Senate.

See Also:

• Gov. Larry Hogan Will Not Run For U.S. Senate
• Hogan Rated Higher Than Biden, Weed Legalization Supported: October 2021 Poll

About 55 percent say Maryland is heading in the right direction, while 32 percent say the state is on the wrong track, according to the latest Goucher Poll.

In the October poll, 59 percent said Maryland was headed in the right direction, with 31 percent saying Maryland was on the wrong track.

Marijuana Legalization Support 'Consistent'

Over 60 percent of those surveyed said they support legalizing marijuana in Maryland, with 62 percent saying they were for it, while 34 percent were opposed.

That represents a slight decrease from the March 2021 poll, when two-thirds of those surveyed said they supported legalizing recreational marijuana. However, organizers of the poll said the change was not a shift in public opinion.

"Support for the legalization of recreational marijuana has been consistent over the last few years," Professor Mileah Kromer said in a statement to Patch Monday.

"When you factor in the MOE [margin of error], there is little variation in the levels of support," said Kromer, who is the director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College, which conducts the poll. "This reflects what we've seen in a lot of national-level polling."

The margin of error is +/-3.9 percent for the latest poll, which was released Monday morning and shows the results of Goucher's survey of 635 adults from March 1 to 6.

Here are the poll results on the question of legalizing marijuana for recreational use:

• 62 percent of Maryland residents support the legalization of recreational marijuana, and 34 percent oppose it.
• Among Democrats: 65 percent support, 32 percent oppose
• Among Independents: 65 percent support, 32 percent oppose
• Among Republicans: 54 percent support, 44 percent oppose

In February, the Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that would enable anyone 21 and older to use and possess cannabis, effective July 1, 2023.

The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee.

See Also:

• Poll: Two-Thirds Of Marylanders Favor Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana
• Marijuana Advocates Bring 51-Foot Joint To Legalization Rally

Finances Worse Than A Year Ago For 1 In 3

Results from the poll released Monday also showed how inflation is impacting Marylanders.

About one in three Marylanders said their financial situation is worse now than it was a year ago, and more than half of those surveyed said they are being affected by recent price increases.

“Marylanders are definitely feeling an economic pinch,” Kromer said in a statement. “Price increases have yet to dampen views of the state’s broader economic situation — a majority continue to say it’s mostly positive, the same as in October though down somewhat from this time last year.”

See Also:

• MD Gas Prices Break Record At More Than $4 Per Gallon: AAA
• MD Gas Tax Pause Supported By Gov. Hogan, Lawmakers: Report

The state has a revenue surplus of $7.5 billion over a two-year span, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot announced last week. He and Hogan proposed giving Marylanders a gas tax holiday, after prices went above $4 a gallon.

Residents were divided about how the state should spend its budgetary surplus: 50 percent want to increase funding for public services while 49 would opt for tax cuts.

The Goucher Poll provides a barometer on social and political issues across the state.

Here is what Marylanders want the state to prioritize:

• Crime and public safety: 25 percent
• Education: 17 percent
• Economic issues and jobs: 14 percent
• Health care: 11 percent

Launched in 2012, the nonpartisan poll is funded by the Goucher College Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics.

"We typically conduct our poll biannually," Kromer told Patch, usually in March and October.

"The reason we always pick those times is that we're an academic-based poll," Kramer said. "Students help me design the survey and analyze the results, so we pick times that work with the academic calendar."

March is in the midst of the legislative session, Kramer added, while October falls before elections.

See the complete Goucher Poll results.