Pennsylvania lawmakers will introduce legislation to legalize recreational marijuana
With a new legislative session just a month away, Pennsylvania state lawmakers plan to once again introduce legislation to decriminalize recreational marijuana.Reps. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, and Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said their new legislation would create a strong marketplace that raises state revenue and supports people and communities harmed by the criminalization of cannabis.”We have a moral obligation to not only legalize but also to work to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana arrests. Our bill will deliver a market that protects the public health, benefits our taxpayers and uplifts those communities that were disproportionately harmed by prohibition policies,” Frankel said.Every state that shares a border with Pennsylvania allows recreational marijuana except for West Virginia, which allows only medical marijuana.Krajewski, who led the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired five hearings to examine the successes and failures of cannabis programs in other states in the previous legislative session. “We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates. W ‘ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue. It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind,” he said.This is a renewed effort to legalize adult-use cannabis. Previous legislation has stalled, despite the governor’s push to pass it.
With a new legislative session just a month away, Pennsylvania state lawmakers plan to once again introduce legislation to decriminalize recreational marijuana.
Reps. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, and Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said their new legislation would create a strong marketplace that raises state revenue and supports people and communities harmed by the criminalization of cannabis.
“We have a moral obligation to not only legalize but also to work to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana arrests. Our bill will deliver a market that protects the public health, benefits our taxpayers and uplifts those communities that were disproportionately harmed by prohibition policies,” Frankel said.
Every state that shares a border with Pennsylvania allows recreational marijuana except for West Virginia, which allows only medical marijuana.
Krajewski, who led the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired five hearings to examine the successes and failures of cannabis programs in other states in the previous legislative session.
“We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates. W ‘ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue. It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind,” he said.
This is a renewed effort to legalize adult-use cannabis. Previous legislation has stalled, despite the governor’s push to pass it.
