Legalizing marijuana in Pa. top priority for Governor Shapiro
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Governor Shapiro wants to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania and he’ll have some convincing to do, especially in the state senate.
Pennsylvania is late to the party, says the governor. The legalized pot party leaves the state short of millions in revenue and exposes citizens to the law.
Mark Rider legally uses marijuana in Pa. with a medical marijuana card. He said, "I use it because of its anti-inflammatory properties, anti-anxiety. It helps me with rest and sleep. I enjoy it."
Shapiro called for legalizing cannabis in his 90-minute budget speech Tuesday, arguing the Commonwealth could reap more than $250 million yearly. "Our failure to regulate and legalize this only fuels the black market and drains needed resources from law enforcement. Time to catch up," he said.
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Catch up with the neighboring states of New Jersey, Delaware and Ohio.
And Shapiro wants to move fast by signing a bill in July and selling by January of 2025.
Meredith Buetttner leads a pro-legalization group and argues the state’s 177 medical marijuana dispensaries are ready to sell recreationally, but not at a 26 percent tax rate.
She said, "We have a group of operators that have been safely servicing some 400,000 plus patients for the past half decade. We have infrastructure in place. We can catch up quickly."
Pa. Family says legalized marijuana is a non-starter. A bad idea opposed by many in health care.
Dan Bartkowiak, of Pennsylvania Family Institute, said many in the medical profession oppose legalization. He said, "It’s because they see the evidence. They look at the harm this it has caused in communities with drug driving, with increasing crime, increased mental health services."