Pittsburgh mayor supports legalization of recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana.

It would be a big step for Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania, where medical marijuana is just taking off.

Peduto has long been a supporter of legalizing medical marijuana, but this is the first time he's endorsed its recreational use.

He tweeted on Friday that he fully supports Auditor General Eugene Depasquale’s plan to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in Pennsylvania.

And more importantly, so do a majority of Pennsylvanians.

Depasquale said taxing and regulating recreational marijuana would combat opioid addiction, claiming that opioid deaths have dropped 23 percent in states that allow it.

He also believes it would create tens of thousands of new jobs and generate $325 million a year in new revenue.

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Right now, nine states and Washington, D.C. allow recreational marijuana use.

In Pittsburgh, Peduto signed a bill in 2016 to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession.

Anyone caught with 30 grams or less could be fined $25.

Cox Media Group