(WSIL) � A new poll funded by an anti-marijuana group shows support is dwindling for recreational marijuana.
said 41 percent of all respondents support fully legalizing marijuana for recreational use. 31 percent want to keep it decriminalized, while another 16 percent would like to see previous marijuana crimes expunged while keeping marijuana .
Support to keep laws the way they are is strongest downstate, although the same group still favors legalization.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended his proposal last week in Marion.
"People are using marijuana even though it is not legal. It is widely available, and yet, it is not safe, because you don’t know where it came from. It’s unregulated," Pritzker said. "Why don’t we fix the criminal justice problem, address the safety issue, and oh by the way, it’ll bring hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue to the state of Illinois and it’ll create jobs."
The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy and was commissioned by Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group that opposes legalization efforts.
by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute showed a majority of voters support legalizing marijuana.
