Two Pennsylvania state senators introduced legislation to legalize adult use of marijuana in the state.
The bipartisan bill, SB 846, sets 21 as the minimum age for use with deterrence measures to prevent people under the age of 21 from using it.
"With neighboring states New Jersey and New York implementing adult use, we have a duty to Pennsylvania taxpayers to legalize adult-use marijuana to avoid losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars of new tax revenue and thousands of new jobs," said one of the bill's sponsors, Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin.
Laughlin also said the bill would ensure "safety and social equity."
"We have a unique and singular opportunity to correct decades of mass incarceration, disproportionate enforcement against marginalized communities, the criminalization of personal choice and the perpetuation of violence, which all materialized from the failed war on drugs," said the bill's other sponsor, Democrat Sharif Street. “Legalizing the adult use of cannabis will help us fully and equitably fund education, lower property taxes, and address a variety of community needs throughout Pennsylvania.”
Source: wgal.com
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Categories: Pennsylvania, Government & Policy