Poll shows TN voters support Dreamers, legalizing marijuana

(WMC) - Election season is right around the corner in Tennessee, and early voting gets underway in Shelby County this week.

A new poll from Middle Tennessee State University is shedding light on some issues that voters may take into consideration when they go to the polls.

Six-hundred registered Tennessee voters were selected at random at the end of March to participate in the Middle Tennessee State University poll.

The poll found both supporters of President Trump and his opponents were in support of Dreamers being allowed to stay and apply for citizenship.

Seventy-five percent of all respondents in favor of the childhood arrivals allowed to stay and 16 percent say they should be required to leave according to the result.

Those numbers didn't surprise Latino Memphis Executive Director Mauricio Calvo.

"I think people are very compassionate about the issue of children across the board," Calvo said. "And I would just say again, I think the president needs to be listening."

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, was set to expire on March 5.

"Having Dreamers benefits the economy, grows our GDP," Calvo said.  It just creates more jobs. It creates a larger tax base. It's just good for everybody."

Tennessee voters were also asked to weigh in on the debate to legalize marijuana.

Eighty-one percent of the polled voters said the drug should be legalized to some degree. Only 37 percent said it should be legal for personal use.

Forty-four percent said it should only be legal for medicinal use.

Arkansas voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in November 2016, passed by 53 percent of voters.

A similar bill recently died in Tennessee when the bill's sponsor withdrew the bill.

MTSU found the differing opinions on uses of marijuana came down to religious beliefs.

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