The Pennsylvania House is giving the green light to recreational marijuana.
The House passed a bill that would legalize marijuana for all adults 21 and older yesterday by a party-line vote in the Democrat-controlled chamber. One of those who opposed the bill was State Representative Jim Struzzi. He said that the program is not going to help balance this year’s or next year’s budget, as the program has a roughly $270 million price tag to implement it, with most of it going to the Liquor Control Board to establish sites to sell marijuana, and those sites will not be ready until the 2026-27 fiscal year. The rest will go to the courts, state police and attorney general.
He also said that a reason he opposed it is because it is being rushed through in three days at the risk of drug addiction.
Representative Brian Smith also voted against the bill.
Governor Josh Shapiro has voiced support for the legalization of marijuana, stating that the commonwealth is losing business to neighboring states. However, the bill will face a much more difficult challenge in the State Senate, where Republicans have the majority.
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