By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The majority of New Yorkers just say yes to medical marijuana usage, according to a poll released Thursday.
Seventy-one percent of New York voters think legalizing the drug for medical purposes is a "good idea," according to the Quinnipiac University poll. Even Republicans, who as a voting block are generally opposed to medicinal marijuana usage, were in favor of it by a 55 to 41 percent margin.
New Yorkers seem to have warmed up to the idea since New Jersey passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana last month.
"It hasn't attracted a lot of attention, but New York State voters would like to emulate their New Jersey neighbors and approve medical use of marijuana," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters of every age have entered the Age of Aquarius."
The poll also questioned New Yorkers about elements of Gov. David Paterson's controversial recent budget proposal.
New York City voters were nearly split on the "fat tax," which would put a tax on non-diet soft drinks, with 50 percent in favor of it to 47 percent against it. Upstate voters opposed the proposal by 57 to 40 percent.
The poll also showed that New Yorkers are not in favor of raising taxes to deal with the state's budget issues. Fifty-eight percent of voters prefer cutting services as a way to help balance the budget instead of additional taxes.
One service that New Yorkers strongly oppose cutting, however, is state funding for public schools. Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed do not want to see any decrease in state aid for education.
“For policy wonks, New York State’s big school bill is a logical target for cuts," Carroll said. "Not for voters, the schools are a herd of sacred cows."
