Trib Live - Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Pennsylvania. But lawmakers, advocates and even opponents who have spent countless hours debating the topic in Harrisburg say that likely will change soon. Money, specifically the promise of jobs and new tax revenue, has come to dominate the conversation in the General Assembly.
Like the debate over casino gambling, which became legal in Pennsylvania in 2004, the push for legalizing recreational marijuana has been percolating in the Legislature for years. Former Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf announced five years ago that he would have approved it had the General Assembly sent him a legalization bill. Such measures gathered more momentum last winter when Gov. Josh Shapiro included it in his budget proposal. Shapiro, also a Democrat, cited the potential for $41 million in new tax revenue during the first year of legal recreational marijuana and predicted it would generate nearly $300 million a year once the multibillion-dollar industry became fully legal here.
This month, Shapiro told TribLive he will call for recreational cannabis legalization as part of his next budget proposal.
No comments:
Post a Comment