HARRISBURG, Pa. — Should Pennsylvania legalize recreational marijuana?
It’s been a hot topic in the state legislature for years, and some lawmakers believe the Commonwealth is dragging behind.
"It’s long overdue for Pennsylvania to legalize adult-use cannabis," said Rep. Rick Krajewski, a Democrat representing part of Philadelphia. "We are now surrounded by states that have legalized cannabis."
Krajewski and a colleague are looking for sponsors on a bill to legalize cannabis for adults, releasing a memo to the House this week.
"We’re losing public revenue, and we’re losing the opportunity to take a market and a product and use it in the best interest of the Commonwealth," he said.
Krajewski said the bill would help create new businesses and allow entrepreneurs to enter the space.
He added it would also forgive some marijuana convictions and reinvest the revenue.
"I think this is an opportunity for the Commonwealth to invest in the communities that have been most impacted and in the people most impacted by past criminalization," Krajewski said.
Any bill would face a challenge in Pennsylvania’s split legislature.
After hearings on potential legislation in the house earlier this year, Rep. Kathy Rapp, Republican chair of the wider House Health Committee, said, “We’ve heard all about the benefits of legalizing marijuana. We haven’t heard enough about what happens after states legalize recreational marijuana. Rather than discussing the best way to legalize it, we should be talking about whether legalizing recreational marijuana is the right move at all.”
Republicans have cited health concerns and questioned how much revenue Pennsylvania would gain, with Rapp pointing out how states like Colorado have spent more on law enforcement since legalization.
"We’re open to trying to hear all sides of the argument to come to something that we can get the majority of legislators to support," Krajewski said in response to the possibility of Republican pushback.
Democrats plan to introduce the new bill in the next legislative session.