Editorial: Fix medical marijuana loopholes before growing to recreational use – By Tribune-Review (Tribune-Review) / Sept 18, 2022
Pennsylvania has a marijuana problem.
The state legalized weed for medical use in 2016. Dispensaries started opening their doors two years later, with the government picking up a 5% tax on sales. That translates to millions in revenue for the public coffers.
Dispensaries were barely opened when the discussion of recreational use started. Then-Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said the few million in taxes generated on cannabis as a medicine could become hundreds of millions if pot became openly available beyond therapeutic use. In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf conducted a listening tour asking Pennsylvanians how they felt. In 2020, Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman began to push for recreational use. Bills were introduced in the state House and Senate with bipartisan support — although they have languished since.
The timeline was no surprise. Almost 60% of Pennsylvanians supported the idea. Why not go for it?
