PA Going to Pot? Marijuana Should Be Legalized, Local Legislator Says
State Sen. Daylin Leach drafted a proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Pennsylvania Senator Daylin Leach (D-17) has drafted a proposal to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for those 21 and older, according to PoliticsPA.
“Prohibition is a cruel irrational policy which is destroying lives, costing us billions of dollars and is doing no good whatsoever,” Leach said.
The bill is in its early stages, waiting for co-sponsors and to be referred to an appropriate committee.
Leach believes his legislation would receive bi-partisan support because it could save roughly $325 million in “criminal justice costs,” and it would add privacy for citizens.
State Rep. Mark Cohen (D-202) previously proposed legislation to legalize the use of medical marijuana, and will re-introduce it again this session.
Cohen supports full legalization of the drug, but "believes his framework for legalizing medical marijuana is a more realistic goal in Pennsylvania"
Leach says he is confident that his bill legalizing marijuana, or a similar version of it, will pass due to the changing demographics of the state.
For more information, read the PoliticsPA article here.
g. p.
6:45 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not but I would prefer Sen. Leach prioritize some of the other issues ahead of this one and spend his time and resources on something that will help serious problems.
Bob
7:33 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
I think $325 million would go a long way in helping those serious problems.
valerie c.
7:50 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I live in chronic pain and it would be great to have this as an option. I really hope this goes through soon. Thank you.
K. D.
8:44 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
This is a great idea. Soon our liquor stores will be ran by private owners, and the closing of state liquor stores will mean loss of jobs. Turn these liquor stores into marijuana shops and control the sales of marijuana. The tax revenues proffited to the state will be huge ($10 million per year) not to mention all of the money that can be saved on the prosecution of marijuana users ($350 million per year). Sounds like a simple decission to me. Republicans need to wake up and join Colorado, and Washington.
Betty
7:58 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I hope Montgomery County is as ashamed of their representative as the rest of we Pennsylvanians are embarrassed by him.
Jeff
11:53 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
Betty - you are entitled to your opinion (which I presume is based on years of government propaganda and not facts) but please don't think you speak for all Pennsylvanians. On this issue, growing numbers of people are educating themselves and finding the basis of cannabis prohibition is rooted in 1930's racism and payoffs, not on the welfare of the people. I think you will find you are not in the majority.
Betty
9:10 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Jeff - and you are welcome to your opinion. Having said that, I have educated myself on the topic, and I would suggest you do the same. The majority of Pennsylvanians oppose legalization. And it is not even close - we oppose legalization by 55 to 36%. And the welfare of the people is far better served by opposing legalization.
http://cumberlink.com/news/local/poll-pa-voters-oppose-privatization-of-lottery-legalization-of-marijuana/article_7b1a2068-7146-11e2-bd9f-001a4bcf887a.html
John Smith
7:48 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Betty did you even bother to read that article? They surveyed like 600 people; hardly representative of PA as a whole. If you surveyed the Philadelphia area you'd find probably 90% approval for legalizing marijuana. You are not entitled to your opinion! Simply because you Googled "PA marijuana legalization" and picked the first article as ammo. It indeed is sad that these so called people you are ashamed of are smarter than you and can understand statistics and skew when they are presented as such. Please move to a different state, we don't need uneducated people here.
Diana Roberts
8:21 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
It's about time the state got smart. Not only will legalization of recreational drugs save money by not criminalizing users, but the state can collect taxes on the sale of marijuana. And think how legalizing it will undermine the Black Market. I am all for it.
Joe Melchiorre
8:27 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
How about dealing with issues to get our economy back on track?? Another "dumborat" with issues that are not as important as the issues the people voted him in to deal with!!
hey becca
9:09 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I've seen in SoCal how the legalization of pot has created pockets of nasty, seedy looking dispensaries on every corner in some areas. They have big neon and, iin some cases, handwritten posters saying charming things like, "Get your MJ card here, the Dr. is IN." Hopefully this bill includes rules for how, where and in what manner it can be sold.
Yeri D.
10:58 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
Agree. And let's not forget the things people *on-high* do.
Sure the town will get extra tax money coming in; But it will never ever outweigh the damage it will do to this nice little town. Not worth it.
And to Sen. Leach: there are other real issues that we are waiting for you to act on.
we don't need another 'recreational' thing.
Jeff
1:18 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Yeri D - please remind me the things that people "on-high" do. Is it anything like what people do on alcohol, tobacco, SSRIs and other prescription antidepressants and pain killers? Do you consume any of these? You just might be the one doing damage to "our nice little town".
Judith Axten
9:14 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
It seems that eliminating police, court and jail costs AND adding tax revenue WOULD help the economy...
John
11:21 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
YES! Legalize it!!!! My catarax is acting up...need some intense mary-j j therapy
Say What???
2:08 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Pennsylvania, Colorado, or any other state can legalize it all they want it doesn't matter because it is still illegal federally and thats all that matter.
FlyingTooLow
3:18 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
I smoked my first joint in December, 1967, at the tender age of 21.
Now, a mere 44 years later, I still smoke pot. I have never 'graduated' to 'harder' drugs. Nor, have I ever harmed anyone.
I am living proof that this prohibitionist propaganda is a fallacy...a blatant lie.
The worst experience I had with marijuana was spending 5 years in Federal Prison for a pot offense.
While there, I watched armed bank robbers come and go in as little as 20 months.
When I went to the parole board after more than 3 years 'behind the wall,' I pointed this out to the panel members. Their response: "You must understand that yours was a very serious offense."
I laughed about that for another 2 years (as I still sat in prison)...then wrote my book:
Shoulda Robbed a Bank.
I would be honored by your review.
FlyingTooLow
3:20 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
The closest I have ever seen marijuana come to harming anyone was during an air drop. We brought in 1100 pounds from Jamaica and dropped it in a peanut field in middle Georgia. The bales were dropped from a small plane at 125 feet altitude. One of the bales, about 80 pounds, missed my compadre by only a few feet... but it surely messed up his truck.
You can read about it in: Shoulda Robbed a Bank
Review Queen
11:59 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
If you had chronic pain, you too would think this is important!!!! But I forgot that some people just don't care since it is not them....
Review Queen
12:05 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013
It's NOT only recreational ! People, in pain need it to feel better. Also, how many people smoking pot have destroyed something in your town??? Yet alcohol one can drink freely???? Wow, now THAT is something to think about!!!!!!
Mr. B
9:31 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
This needs to happen. Way safer than alcohol. Millions in taxes. Harrisburg could get out of debt. Funding for roads and educations. Make new jobs and products. Police can focus on bigger issues and make the communities safer. Way more pros then cons.
Mr. B
9:33 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Also help me to live with my Lyme disease.
Zac bayless
10:13 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Well here is my point of view I think that we should at least have medical marihuana because we have more people dieing because drunk driving and alcohol poison then marijuana use tell me one person who died from marijuana at least legalize marijuana for medical reason for chronic pain
Mr. B
6:16 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Also helps me to live with my Lyme disease.
JC
6:19 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I'm all for legalizen marajanua , where do I vote! I've seen so many lives ruined from poison cigarettes and alcoholism and perscription drugs that harm the body and these things are legal! You smoke alittle pot ,ur a criminal it's totally ridiculous! I hope PA will put an end to this sooner than later!!!