WRAL/WSOC Poll: 74% of N.C. Adults Back Medical Marijuana, 63% Recreational; Data Center Views Split 43% to 42%
A SurveyUSA poll of 900 North Carolina adults, taken Oct. 7–11, found that 6% favor encouraging data centers with few limits. That poll lands in a year when the legislature has scaled back one data center tax break and the House has never voted on a marijuana bill.
6% Wanted Few Limits. 42% Wanted No More Data Centers.
Pollsters asked North Carolina adults how the state should handle data centers. Only 6% chose the option of encouraging them "with few restrictions." That sounds like a landslide against the industry. It isn't. Another 37% would allow data centers only if they pay the full cost of the power, water and roads they need. Together, 43% back at least some new development. Another 42% oppose it[1][2].
The numbers come from a SurveyUSA poll for WRAL-TV and WSOC-TV, released Oct. 15–16, 2026. SurveyUSA interviewed 900 North Carolina adults online from Oct. 7 to 11. Of those, 643 were early voters or likely voters[1][6]. The poll also asked about marijuana, and those answers were far more lopsided.
The Marijuana Numbers Aren't Close
Some 74% said medical marijuana should be legal. Only 15% said it should not. On recreational use, 63% backed legalization and 26% opposed it[1][3].
The support crosses party lines. It includes 52% of Republicans, 73% of Democrats and 65% of independents[1][3]. A separate Elon University poll in September found 80% of likely voters backing medical use and 57% backing recreational use[17][18]. The polls differ on size but agree on direction.
WRAL's headline framed the result as a gap: "Lawmakers are doing otherwise"[1]. On marijuana, the record fits that framing. The Senate passed the Compassionate Care Act (S.3) by 36-10 on March 1, 2023. The House adjourned without taking it up[13][14].
The Data Center Record Is More Complicated
The same headline fits data centers less well. On July 7, 2026, Gov. Josh Stein signed SB 257, the budget bill. It repealed the sales-tax exemption on electricity used by qualifying data centers[11][12]. Those centers now pay a 7% sales tax on electricity, starting with billing periods from Aug. 6[11].
The repeal is worth an estimated $21.4 million in state revenue in 2026–27. That rises to $28.6 million by 2030–31. The state kept other breaks, such as those on equipment and software[11].
The House also passed SB 730, the Ratepayer Protection Act, by 69-44. The bill aims to make data centers pay for the power plants and lines built to serve them[8][9]. It has sat in the Senate Rules Committee since June 8[16]. So the legislature has acted on one data center issue and stalled on another.
Why Cost Is the Real Fight
Here is the mechanism behind the 37% answer. When a utility builds new generation and transmission for one giant customer, someone has to pay. If rates aren't set carefully, every household's bill helps cover the build-out. Ratepayer advocates want the data center to carry that cost. AARP's survey found 80% of North Carolina voters 50 and older want policymakers to make sure households don't pay[15].
Gov. Stein and local moratorium backers add water use and local land-use control. They want a say before a project is approved[10]. Coverage reports more than 30 local moratoriums across the state[16]. For them, the tax break repeal is a first step.
The industry and pro-growth legislators see it differently. They say data centers bring billions in construction and a large property-tax base. The benefits go mostly to rural counties with few other big investors. They warn that piling on costs would send projects to Virginia, Georgia or Texas. North Carolina would then lose the revenue and still face rising regional power demand. They also argue the repeal and SB 730's cost rules already answer the "free ride" complaint[8][12].
The Senate has its own case. Its leaders can note the budget they agreed to. They can argue that utility rate design is complex, best left to regulators, and that a rushed bill could raise costs or scare off investment[16].
Why the House Hasn't Voted on Marijuana
On marijuana, the obstacle sits in the House, not the Senate. A bill generally reaches the House floor only with majority support inside the Republican caucus. Former Speaker Tim Moore said the House didn't take up S.3 because it lacked that support[13].
Skeptics make a deeper case. A poll answer costs nothing, they say. Legalizing creates a lasting industry. It raises questions about impaired driving, youth use, product labeling and how many licenses to grant. The Senate's own debate touched on several of these[14]. They add that representatives answer to their districts, not to a statewide sample of adults.
Advocates answer that three in four adults want medical access, and one chamber shouldn't block a vote year after year. They note that Virginia has legalized adult use, so North Carolina loses tax revenue across the border. They also say patients here deserve the access patients have in most other states[13].
What the Poll Can't Tell You
The poll has limits. It surveyed adults, not only voters. It used an online nonprobability panel, meaning respondents opted in rather than being randomly selected. SurveyUSA reported a credibility interval of 4.2 percentage points, a rough error band similar to a margin of error[6][7]. The poll doesn't show how strongly people feel or whether these issues will change votes.
Question design matters too. Labeling the status quo "few restrictions" shapes how small the 6% looks. The 43–42 split is the more direct measure of how divided the public is.
Outlets drew different lines. WRAL, the sponsor, led with the 6% figure and the gap with lawmakers. It didn't foreground the July repeal or the House vote on SB 730[1]. WSOC led with the 43–42 split and the question's wording, which listed both benefits and costs[2]. Marijuana Moment and The Marijuana Herald led with the Republican majority and left out the data center half[3][4]. Cannabis Business Times framed the poll as a step toward 2027 reform[5]. The conservative Carolina Journal didn't cover the poll. Its budget story said the legislature "scales back" a data center tax break, which presents lawmakers as already acting[12].
The poll came three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms, which gives both parties reason to read it their way[1][15]. Medical and recreational marijuana remain illegal, and no bill has reached a House floor vote. SB 730 waits in the Senate. Whether either moves depends on what lawmakers do after the election.
Summary
A new WRAL/WSOC poll asked North Carolina adults about two issues lawmakers are fighting over: data centers and marijuana. SurveyUSA ran the poll online from Oct. 7 to 11, 2026, among 900 adults[1][6]. On marijuana, the result was lopsided. Some 74% said medical marijuana should be legal and 15% said it should not. On recreational use, 63% backed legalization and 26% opposed it. That support included 52% of Republicans, 73% of Democrats and 65% of independents[1][3].
On data centers, the public was split almost evenly. Some 43% backed at least some new development, and 42% opposed it[1][2]. Only 6% chose the option of encouraging data centers 'with few restrictions.' The biggest group, 37%, would allow them only if they pay the full cost of the power, water and roads they need[1]. Republicans leaned toward allowing some development (53%). Most Democrats (58%) opposed it[1].
WRAL framed the results as a gap between voters and the Republican-led General Assembly[1]. The record backs that framing on marijuana in the House. The Senate passed medical cannabis bills in 2022 and 2023, but the House never voted on one[13][14]. On data centers, the picture is more mixed. In July, Gov. Josh Stein signed a budget that ended the sales-tax break on electricity used by data centers[11][12]. The House also passed a bill making data centers pay for the new power plants and lines built to serve them. That bill has sat in a Senate committee since June[8][16].
The main dispute is over what the poll shows. Reform advocates see a legislature ignoring a clear majority[1][3]. Skeptics can point to what the poll does not measure. It surveyed adults, not only voters. It drew on an online opt-in panel. And it does not show how strongly people feel or whether these issues change their votes[6][7].
The Event
WRAL-TV and WSOC-TV published results from a SurveyUSA poll on Oct. 15–16, 2026. SurveyUSA interviewed 900 North Carolina adults online from Oct. 7 to 11. Of those, 643 were early voters or likely voters[1][6]. The poll asked people which approach to data center development they prefer. It also asked whether medical and recreational marijuana should be legal[1][2].
Undisputed Facts
- SurveyUSA interviewed 900 North Carolina adults online from Oct. 7 to 11, 2026, using an online nonprobability panel. It reported a credibility interval of 4.2 percentage points[6][7].
- On data centers, 6% chose encouraging development with few restrictions. Another 37% chose allowing it only if centers pay full costs, 29% chose opposing further development, and 13% chose a moratorium[1][2].
- Some 74% said medical marijuana should be legal. Some 63% backed recreational legalization, and 26% said it should stay illegal[1][3].
- Gov. Josh Stein signed SB 257 on July 7, 2026. It repealed the sales-tax exemption on electricity used by qualifying data centers. Other data center tax breaks, such as those on equipment, stayed in place[11][12].
- The N.C. House passed SB 730, the Ratepayer Protection Act, by a vote of 69-44. It has sat in the Senate Rules Committee since June 8[8][16].
- The N.C. Senate passed the Compassionate Care Act (S.3) by 36-10 on March 1, 2023. The House adjourned without taking it up[13][14].
- An Elon University poll in September 2026 found 80% of likely voters backing medical marijuana and 57% backing recreational use[17][18].
The Pressure
Strip away the moralizing and blame. What structural realities persist regardless of which narrative wins?
- Grid cost allocation
- Large data centers force utilities to build new generation and transmission. Whoever is billed for that build-out, the center or all customers, decides the household-bill effect. SB 730 tries to put those costs on the data centers[8][9].
- Tax base vs. revenue loss
- The electricity exemption cost the state an estimated $21.4 million in 2026–27, rising to $28.6 million by 2030–31. The state kept the equipment and software tax breaks it uses to compete for projects[11].
- Caucus gatekeeping
- In the N.C. House, a bill generally reaches the floor only with majority support inside the Republican caucus. That rule, not statewide opinion, has decided the fate of medical cannabis[13].
- Election-year positioning
- The poll was released three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms. That timing gives both parties reason to frame its results around legislative races[1][15].
Material realityMedical and recreational marijuana remain illegal in North Carolina. No bill to legalize either has reached a House floor vote[13]. Data centers now pay a 7% sales tax on the electricity they use, starting with billing periods from Aug. 6, 2026. They keep their other state tax breaks[11]. SB 730's cost and siting rules are not law[16]. Meanwhile, cities and counties are adopting their own temporary moratoriums[16]. Polls this fall agree on direction but differ on size. Medical marijuana support runs from 74% of adults (SurveyUSA) to 80% of likely voters (Elon). Recreational support runs from 57% to 63%[1][17]. The SurveyUSA figures come from an online opt-in panel and carry a 4.2-point credibility interval. That is a rough error band, similar to a margin of error[6].
Narrative as a weaponWRAL, the poll's sponsor, is shaping the main frame: a legislature 'out of step' with the public. Cannabis-reform outlets amplify that frame for the marijuana results. It fits the House's record on marijuana. It fits the data center record less well, because the legislature repealed one tax break and the House passed cost-shifting limits. Pro-growth and conservative voices want readers to see the legislature as already balancing jobs and bills. Ratepayer advocates and Gov. Stein want readers to see repealing a tax break as only a first step. Note one more thing about the poll's design. Labeling the status quo as 'few restrictions' shapes how small the 6% looks. The 43–42 split is the more direct measure of how divided the public is.
How Each Side Sees It
Each major actor’s view — how it frames things, its underlying incentive, and how it’s materially affected. Tap a side to read it.
Frames it asThey argue that when three in four adults want medical marijuana, a single chamber should not be able to block a vote year after year[1][13]. They point out that this support crosses party lines. A majority of Republicans in the poll back even recreational use[1][3]. They also cite neighboring states. Virginia has legalized adult use, they note, so North Carolina loses tax revenue across the border and still pays the cost of enforcement. Medical patients, they argue, deserve the same access as patients in most other states[13].
WhyThey want a floor vote in the House and a regulated market. Industry outlets also want new licenses and business[3][5].
Impact on themPatients and would-be businesses wait on each legislative session. Democrats gain an issue that splits Republican voters[1][3].
Frames it asFormer Speaker Tim Moore said the House did not take up S.3 because it lacked majority support inside the Republican caucus[13]. Their deeper case is that a poll answer costs nothing. Legalizing creates a lasting industry. It also raises real questions about impaired driving, youth use, product labeling and how many licenses to grant. The Senate's own debate raised several of these concerns[14]. They also argue that representatives answer to their districts, not to a statewide sample of adults.
WhyThey want to avoid a vote that splits the caucus and angers religious and law-enforcement allies. They also want to keep control over hemp and cannabis rules[13].
Impact on themTheir stance is exposed in an election year if the poll's cross-party numbers hold. Legislators who block the bill face pressure from both sides[1].
Frames it asTheir core concern is cost-shifting. A utility builds new power plants and lines to serve a giant customer. If rates are not set carefully, every household's bill helps pay for that build-out. They want data centers to pay the full cost, which is the poll's top choice at 37%[1]. AARP's survey found 80% of North Carolina voters 50 and older want policymakers to make sure households don't cover these costs[15]. They also cite water use and local land-use control[10].
WhyThey want to hold down power bills and claw back tax breaks. They also want local veto power before a data center is approved[10][11].
Impact on themStein got the electricity tax break repealed. That repeal is worth an estimated $21.4 million in state revenue in 2026–27[11]. Further limits depend on the Senate acting on SB 730[16].
Frames it asThey argue data centers bring billions in construction, a large local property-tax base and some high-paying jobs. Those benefits go mostly to rural counties that have few other big investors. They note the poll shows 53% of Republicans and 43% of adults back at least some development[1]. Their warning: if North Carolina piles on costs, the projects go to Virginia, Georgia or Texas. The state would then lose the tax revenue and still face rising regional power demand. They also say the tax-break repeal and SB 730's cost rules already answer the 'free ride' complaint[8][12].
WhyThey want predictable rules, to keep the remaining equipment tax breaks, and to stop new local-level limits[11][12].
Impact on themProjects face a 7% sales tax on electricity starting in August 2026, possible local studies, and moratoriums. Coverage reports more than 30 such moratoriums across the state[11][16].
Frames it asSenate Republicans can point to their record. They passed medical cannabis in 2022 and 2023[13]. They also agreed to the budget that repealed the electricity tax break[11][12]. On SB 730, holding the bill can be described as a deliberate choice. They can argue utility rate design is complex and best left to regulators, and that a rushed bill could raise costs or drive off investment.
WhyThey want to keep leverage over the House and the governor. They also want to avoid hurting economic-development deals[8][16].
Impact on themThey hold the deciding vote on further data center limits. The House, not the Senate, is the obstacle on medical marijuana[13][16].
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The Bias Ledger average rating 3.5
The same story, as framed by outlets across the spectrum, ordered least to most biased. The bias score (1 = straight, 10 = heavily spun) is an AI assessment of that framing — click an outlet to see its track record. The tell is the word choice or omission that reveals the angle.
| Outlet | Vantage | Bias | How they frame it | The tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSOC-TV | U.S. center (Charlotte commercial TV; poll co-sponsor) | 2 | WSOC/WRAL poll finds North Carolinians are split on data center development | Leads with the 43–42 split and the wording of the question, which listed both the benefits and the costs of data centers. This is closer to straight reporting. |
| Cannabis Business Times | U.S. cannabis-industry trade publication | 3 | NC Adults Back Cannabis Legalization as State Tees Up 2027 Reform | Frames the poll as a step toward expected legislation, which is an industry-opportunity lens. It correctly says 'adults' rather than 'voters.' |
| Carolina Journal | U.S. right (John Locke Foundation, conservative/free-market) | 3 | NC budget scales back data center tax break | 'Scales back' plays down a repeal of the electricity exemption that trade press called an 'end.' Its coverage presents the legislature as acting on data centers. It did not cover the poll. |
| Marijuana Moment | U.S. cannabis-reform trade outlet | 4 | North Carolinians Support Legalizing Marijuana, Including Majorities Of Republicans And Democrats, Poll Shows | Puts the Republican majority up front to signal bipartisan pressure. It drops the data center half of the poll and gives no voice to opponents. |
| The Marijuana Herald | U.S. cannabis-advocacy outlet | 4 | New Poll Finds 63% of North Carolinians Support Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Including Majority of Republicans | Leads with the recreational figure and the Republican majority. It covers only the marijuana questions, with no caveats about method. |
| WRAL | U.S. center (Raleigh commercial TV; poll sponsor) | 5 | Poll: NC adults want more curbs on data centers, fewer on marijuana. Lawmakers are doing otherwise | 'Lawmakers are doing otherwise' treats the legislature as one body. It leads with the 6% figure, not the near-even 43–42 split. It does not foreground the July repeal of the electricity tax break or the House's passage of SB 730. |
References
- Poll: NC adults want more curbs on data centers, fewer on marijuana. Lawmakers are doing otherwise — WRAL · Commercial Raleigh TV station (Capitol Broadcasting); commissioned the poll
- WSOC/WRAL poll finds North Carolinians are split on data center development — WSOC-TV · Commercial Charlotte TV station (Cox Media Group); poll co-sponsor
- North Carolinians Support Legalizing Marijuana, Including Majorities Of Republicans And Democrats, Poll Shows — Marijuana Moment · Cannabis-policy news outlet, reform-sympathetic
- New Poll Finds 63% of North Carolinians Support Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Including Majority of Republicans — The Marijuana Herald · Pro-legalization cannabis outlet
- NC Adults Back Cannabis Legalization as State Tees Up 2027 Reform — Cannabis Business Times · Cannabis-industry trade publication, ad-supported by the industry
- Most in NC say their life has gotten worse since 2024, WRAL/WSOC Poll shows — WRAL · Commercial Raleigh TV station; poll sponsor (methodology details)
- WRAL/WSOC poll finds economic strain shaping North Carolina midterms — NC Political News · Independent N.C. political news site; orientation not clearly disclosed
- NC House passes Ratepayer Protection Act — Carolina Journal · Conservative/free-market; published by the John Locke Foundation
- NC House advances bill to regulate data centers, require more nuclear power — NC Newsline · Progressive-leaning nonprofit; part of States Newsroom
- NC bill proposes data center regulations, would keep local governments from offering incentives — WUNC · Public radio (University of North Carolina licensee), center-left audience
- North Carolina repeals sales and use tax exemption for electricity used at qualifying data centers — EY Tax News · Big Four accounting firm tax alert; client-service, nonpartisan in tone
- NC budget scales back data center tax break — Carolina Journal · Conservative/free-market; published by the John Locke Foundation
- North Carolina Compassionate Care Act — S. 3 Summary — Marijuana Policy Project · Pro-legalization advocacy organization
- N.C. Senate approves medical marijuana, but questions remain on labeling, limited licenses — Carolina Journal · Conservative/free-market; published by the John Locke Foundation
- Older Voters Could Decide 2026 North Carolina Elections — AARP · Advocacy organization for people 50+; lobbies on utility costs
- Ratepayer Protection Act would add rules for data centers, utilities and foreign ownership — NC Political News · Independent N.C. political news site; orientation not clearly disclosed
- Poll: 80% of North Carolina Likely Voters Support Medical Marijuana Legalization, 57% Back Recreational Use — The Marijuana Herald · Pro-legalization cannabis outlet
- Most North Carolinians support legalizing marijuana, Elon poll finds — WRAL · Commercial Raleigh TV station (Capitol Broadcasting)