Should Pennsylvania legalize marijuana for recreational use? Pennsylvania State Representative Jake Wheatley from Allegheny County said it is time.
Wheatley, along with several other state representatives weighed in on the topic during a round table discussing Tuesday in Harrisburg, on April 20, also known as weed day.
“It would generate $5 billion in free money that would otherwise go to drug cartels,” said Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman said.
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Wheatley first introduced House Bill 2050 last year.
After it got shot down, he is now pushing once again to get it passed.
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The bill would make adult use cannabis legal in the commonwealth, and would include wiping the records of non-violent drug offenders.
“It is a huge equity piece and I know personally first-hand because some of my own family members have been caught up in the criminal justice system because of getting caught with a little bag of weed and now they have a record for the rest of their lives,” said State Rep. Manuel Guzman, Jr.
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The bill would also include a minority and women grant program, geared at helping disadvantaged groups benefit from the industry.
There would be an excise tax for consumers that would start at 6%.
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