Pennsylvania Lawmakers Eyeing Recreational Cannabis to Help Fix State Budget

Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize medical cannabis in 2016. Now lawmakers may be eyeing recreational legalization to help balance the state’s budget.

Pennsylvania’s Auditor General Eugene DePasquale estimates that the state could amass over $200 million in tax money from the sale of cannabis. He specifically sited Colorado’s robust cannabis program as a model. Colorado not only brought in $129 million in tax revenue, but it created 18,000 jobs as well.

“The regulation and taxation of marijuana train has rumbled out of the station,” DePasquale said. “The question is whether Pennsylvania is going to miss its stop as the train moves across the country.”

If Pennsylvania were to allow for adult-use of cannabis, they would join Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington in the recreational space. The District of Columbia also allows for the adult use of cannabis as well.  DePasquale hopes to learn from the early adopter’s victories, while avoiding the same pitfalls that plagued them early on.

There are conflicting reports of Pennsylvania’s deficit, but most experts put it between $600 and $700 million. DePasquale said, “If I told you that the budget negotiators from the Legislature and the governor’s office this June would have $200 million of found money . . . would they throw that money out the window or find a way to utilize it?”

Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf, has long been a supporter of cannabis. Last week he responded to a cannabis question on twitter, saying, “I want to learn from the experience of other states that have full legalization and I welcome discussion on this issue with the Legislature.”

Recent comments by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions have many on high alert. Several states are currently in a holding pattern to see which side of the coin the Trump administration will land on, but DePasquale said that they can’t let the possibility of legal action freeze them in their place.

“If we’re going to operate the state of Pennsylvania in fear of what a crazy man’s going to do, we’re not going to do anything,” DePasquale said. “If that’s the fight, bring it on.”