Pennsylvania’s Governor says that he believes officials in the state ‘don’t have a choice any more’ on legalizing pot. He feels there is a bipartisan momentum which lawmakers should use to accomplish the task.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett was prompted to act after neighboring states like Ohio legalized marijuana in the last few years. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said that last week, “this is really a matter of competitiveness” as Pennsylvania “loses out on $250 million dollars yearly in revenue which could be used for anything, from economic development to education, or you name it.”
He said: “We don’t want to see our kids drinking. We have safeguards that prevent them from getting it.” Parents, schools, and other groups will have to bear a large part of the burden to educate their children about this. This is something that we have to compete in.
Shapiro said WILK News Radio that “we don’t have any choice” given how quickly this issue is spreading across our region and the country. He added that he has “evolved” on the matter and now wants a legal marijuana market that “focuses on lifting up Pennsylvania businesses–not the big national conglomerates in the process. We’re also empowering local communities in it, and I think that some good can be derived from it.”
The comments were made days after the governor unveiled a budget that called for marijuana to be legalized this year with sales starting as soon as January next year.
Cannabis reform in Pennsylvania has been stalled over the past few sessions. Shapiro, however, said that he believes there is a way forward this year.
He said: “You have some legislators who are just–you’re right, it cracks my up, they’re like kneejerks against everything I’m in favor of, but that’s their politics.” “But what I think you’re starting to see, from the thoughtful people out there, is that some bipartisanship emerged, and you have Democrats and Republicans who are sponsoring bills to make it legal.”
It’s incredibly popular in all parts of the country, and polls in both the regions and the states confirm this. If someone is against it, they will have to explain that to their constituents,” he said. There does appear to be a bipartisan consensus on the need to compete in this area, and we will see if we are able to get it done. We are going to work very hard.”
Shapiro stated in a separate interview to KDKA News Radio, that the Governor’s Office also promoted in a previous week. His office estimated that Pennsylvania could earn $250 million annually in tax revenue from cannabis sales.
“The truth is that we’re leaving money on the tables.” He said that we are falling behind the other states. “I believe it’s another example of our not being as competitive and I think the time is now.”
It’s time to stop the black market. It’s time for the cops to be relieved of their burden. It’s time for us to be more competitive. “And this is one way to achieve that,” said the governor. “We cannot let Ohio or other states around us continue to eat our lunch in this issue or any other. This is one area where I am fiercely competitive, as I have said before. “We’ve got compete it.”
An employee in Shapiro’s office also commented on the necessity to legalize cannabis after Ohio voters passed the reform last November.
Pennsylvania legislators convened a second hearing last week on marijuana legalization, focusing on the perspective of industry, with numerous stakeholders from cannabis-growing, dispensing, and testing businesses as well as clinical-registrants testifying.
At the start of last week’s meeting, Rep. Dan Frankel, (D), who had previously sponsored legislation to legalize cannabis, stated that his personal goal for adult use was to prioritize the health and safety for our constituents and provide opportunities for all, especially for those affected by the drug war.
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The members of the subcommittee heard testimony from experts and asked questions regarding various aspects of marijuana oversight. These included promoting social equality and business opportunities, lab testing, and public or private operation of an industry that is legal in each state.
Frankel, during the first panel meeting held late last year said that he was considering state-run shops for Pennsylvania. This is similar to what New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu recommended. Chris Sununu made a recommendation for the state last year. However, a state commission later rejected that plan.
John Fetterman, a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (D), also complained recently that Pennsylvania was being “lapped”, on marijuana policy while other states in the area legalized it.
Pennsylvania legislators recently introduced a pair bills that would prohibit police from charging medical marijuana patients with impaired driving even without proof of intoxication.
A Republican State Senator also said he would introduce legislation soon that would eliminate barriers under state laws to medical marijuana patients who carry firearms.
The governor signed into law a bill in December that allows all licensed medical marijuana grower/processors to act as retailers, and sell their cannabis directly to patients. Independent dispensaries can also begin cultivating marijuana.
A recent poll found that approximately two thirds of Pennsylvania voters support marijuana legalization.
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