Only 15 percent of Colorado residents say they have bought recreational marijuana

HAMDEN, Conn., April 28 (UPI) -- While almost half of Colorado residents say they have used marijuana, only 15 percent say they have done so since the state legalized it Jan. 1, a new poll finds.

Generally, residents still support legalization, with 67 percent saying it has "not eroded the moral fiber" of Coloradoans, a Quinnipiac poll reported Monday. Only 30 percent said it has.

Half of those polled said they expect legalization to aid the criminal justice system, and 54 percent said that it has not made driving in Colorado more dangerous.

More than half, 53 percent, said legalization "increases personal freedoms in a positive way," and the same percentage expect the change to save the state money.

But 52 percent said they would be less likely to vote for political candidates they know to use marijuana two to three times a week, while only 3 percent would be more likely to support them and 43 percent say it would make no difference.

More than one-third, 38 percent, said they are concerned about at least one friend or relative who appears to be overdoing marijuana.

Colorado became the first state this year to legalize marijuana for recreational use, allowing it to be sold openly -- and taxed.

"Colorado voters are generally good to go on grass, across the spectrum, from personal freedom to its taxpayer benefits to its positive impact on the criminal justice system," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll. "But if you are a politician, think twice before smokin' them if you got 'em."

The polling institute at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., surveyed 1,298 registered voters in Colorado between April 15 and April 21. The margin of error for the entire sample is 2.7 percentage points.