If recreational marijuana becomes legal in Pennsylvania in the near future, its roots could be traced back to Pittsburgh.
State Rep. Jake Wheatley (D-Hill District) plans to introduce a bill to legalize the sale and purchase of marijuana throughout Pennsylvania. And not just medical marijuana, which has been sold since February, but recreational marijuana. This bill, if enacted into law, would also expunge criminal records for marijuana related crimes that would become legal under the new law.
“States from coast to coast have embraced legalization and those states are reaping the economic and criminal justice benefits,” Wheatley said in a July 25 statement. “It is time Pennsylvania joins with those states in leaving behind the ugly stigma of marijuana.”
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a pro-legalization advocate, recently released a report estimating the state could see $580 million in annual revenue through marijuana legalization. Nine states and Washington D.C. have passed laws legalizing marijuana. Washington state brought in $319 million in revenue in 2017 thanks to its legal-marijuana program.
A Franklin & Marshall College poll from September 2017 showed 59 percent of Pennsylvanians approve of legalizing recreational marijuana. Local elected officials like Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Braddock Mayor and Lt. Gov. candidate John Fetterman are also supportive of legal marijuana.
With the public support, Wheatley said now is the time to make marijuana legal in the state.
“This is why it comes as no surprise that recent polling shows that a majority of Pennsylvanians support legalization,” Wheatley said. “This is an idea whose time has come.”
But the bill could face obstacles. Governor Tom Wolf (D-York) has been a vocal supporter of the state’s medical marijuana program, but hasn’t embraced pushes for recreational use. And to even reach Wolf’s desk, the bill would have to go through the Republican controlled state House and state Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Marshall), a legal-marijuana opponent.
In a July 25 tweet posted by Stephen Caruso of the PLS Reporter, state House Republican spokesperson Stephen Miskin said supporting legal marijuana could lead to intoxicated drivers and questioned the benefits of using the revenue legalization would raise.
“Legalizing marijuana? Why not legalize heroin, why not legalize cocaine?” Miskin said.
Patrick Nightingale of marijuana-advocacy group Pittsburgh NORML said Miskin is engaging in “scaremongering” and avoiding an “honest debate” about marijuana use. He said none of the nine states with legal marijuana have legalized harder drugs.
“Mr. Miskin is clearly ignorant of the fact that no one in the entire history of the human race has ever died from a cannabis overdose – in fact its impossible,” said Nightingale. “That fact alone demonstrates what a ridiculous statement the Spokesperson made.”
This article appears in 07-25-2018.
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Cannabis prohibition is a stupid waste of police, court and taxpayer resources on something that is far safer to consume than tobacco or alcoholic beverages.
In the USA 9 states have fully legalized recreational cannabis including: Washington, Maine, California, Vermont, Massachusetts, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska plus Washington DC.
30 states and counting have legalized medical cannabis! Cannabis prohibition wrongfully persecutes and criminalizes cannabis consumers for selecting a recreational substance that is safer than alcoholic beverages or tobacco products!
Celebrate democracy at work with FREE states ending government corruption! Citizens demanding the return of their rights and their freedom!
Data from the Center for Disease Control proves that cannabis is safer than alcoholic beverages and tobacco products which are completely legal. Based on that fact alone CANNABIS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY LEGAL.
The Madness is over, Legalize Recreational Cannabis Nationwide!
Legalizing marijuana? Why not legalize heroin, why not legalize cocaine? -Stevie Miskin
Ok then, Stevie… how about we prohibit alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and sugar then?
Those who believe in limited government, personal responsibility, free markets, and individual liberty should embrace the ending of this irrational, un-American cannabis prohibition. It should be the cornerstone of current GOP policy.
About half of the U.S. population has tried cannabis, at least 15% use it regularly, over 80% of high school seniors have reported cannabis “easy to get” for decades. Those who really want to use cannabis heavily already are. Prohibition does little or nothing to prevent problematic use. In many cases prohibition makes cannabis usage problematic where it would not have been otherwise, be it light, moderate, or heavy usage. For the most part, cannabis prohibition only successfully prohibits effective regulation.
A few issues created by prohibition: there are no quality controls to reduce contaminants (harmful pesticides, molds, fungus, other drugs), there is no practical way to prevent regular underage sales, billions in tax revenue are lost which can be used for all substance abuse treatment, underground markets for all drugs are empowered as a far more popular substance is placed within them expanding their reach and increasing their profits, criminal records make pursuing many decent careers difficult, police and court resources are unnecessarily tied up by pursuing and prosecuting victimless ‘crimes’, public mistrust and disrespect for our legal system, police, and government is increased, which can be devastating to our country.
Prohibition is also very expensive, though, a cash cow for a number of powerful groups such as those related to law enforcement and the prison industry. These organizations have powerful lobbies and influence that perpetuate a failed drug policy through ignorance, fear, disinformation and misinformation. This ensures an endless supply of lucrative contracts and grants from the government and its taxpayers to support their salaries, tools of the trade, and other expenses. Cash, property and other assets from civil forfeiture laws also significantly fatten their coffers while often violating civil rights.
America was built on the principles of freedom and liberty. In some cases there are extreme circumstances that warrant intervention with criminal law. In the case of mind-altering drugs we have already set this precedent with alcohol. Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and especially to others. If we are to have justice, then the penalties for using, possessing and selling cannabis should be no worse than those of alcohol.