A new poll commissioned by the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC) and conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research found 69 percent of Pennsylvania likely voters support legalizing marijuana for adults 21 and older. Support crossed party lines: Democrats at 72 percent, Republicans at 67 percent, and independents at 64 percent. Majorities also backed legalization across every age group, racial demographic, and geographic region surveyed.
When the question specified provisions for strict consumer safety standards, product testing, and youth access protections, support rose to 72 percent. On hemp, 89 percent said they would back legislation restricting intoxicating THC sales to licensed, state-regulated businesses and removing those products from gas stations and convenience stores.
The survey polled 705 likely voters from March 7–19, 2026, with a margin of error of ±3.7% at a 95% confidence level.
"Pennsylvanians are sending a clear message: they want a system that is safe, regulated, and responsible," said Meredith Buettner Schneider, PCC's executive director, in a Monday press release. "Right now, intoxicating THC products are being sold with little oversight, often in places that lack proper safeguards. That is unacceptable."
The results coincide with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) pressing lawmakers to pass a legalization bill, which he included again in his 2026 budget request. Shapiro has argued legalization would generate $1.3 billion in state revenue over five years, writing in a recent social media post: "Stop with the excuses. Let's get this done."
Pennsylvania's Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that Shapiro's plan—combining a 20% wholesale excise tax, a 6% retail sales tax, and licensing fees—would produce $140 million in tax revenue in 2027–2028 and grow to $432 million by 2030–2031. Shapiro's own office offered lower projections: $36.9 million in year one, rising to $223.8 million by 2030–2031.
The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill last year to legalize marijuana through state-owned dispensaries, but the Republican-led Senate rejected that model without advancing its own. The Senate Law and Justice Committee recently approved an amended bill to create a Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to oversee Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program and intoxicating hemp products, with potential future authority over adult-use cannabis.
Buettner Schneider said the poll "shows strong support for policies like SB 49 that would eliminate the unregulated hemp intoxicant market and provide much needed consumer protections." A separate Quinnipiac University Poll also recently found majority support among Pennsylvania voters for adult-use legalization.
