Today, as the Pennsylvania legislature failed to include adult-use cannabis in a budget proposal, ResponsiblePA – the coalition leading the call for adult-use cannabis legalization throughout the Commonwealth – urged policymakers to pass adult-use cannabis without delay when the legislature reconvenes in eight weeks.
“The legislature left a critical issue behind as they crafted a budget that did not include adult-use cannabis. Pennsylvanians are demanding action on the legalization of adult-use cannabis. An adult-use market can bring more than a billion dollars to the state in its first year, and every moment Pennsylvania waits to legalize, we are losing money and business to the 90 percent of our neighboring states who have chosen to act,” said Brit Crampsie, spokeswoman for ResponsiblePA. “As Pennsylvanians go on vacation this summer to New York, New Jersey, Maryland and even ‘friggin’ Ohio, they will witness these states rake in millions, as our state legislature fails to act. We are hopeful that with the progress made in this budget, that adult-use legalization is at the top of the legislative agenda when the legislature returns in September.”
ResponsiblePA recently unveiled an economic study conducted by national consulting firm FTI Consulting, showcasing an addition of $2.1 billion in tax revenue as a result of an adult-use market in Pennsylvania in year one. This economic forecast also predicts the creation of more than 30,000 jobs in a year, an additional $4.2 billion in economic output, $2.6 billion in state GDP for the state, and $420 million in recurring tax revenue.
“Adult-use cannabis legalization is coming, but every week and month that we delay, we fall further behind our neighboring states in revenue. We delay the opportunity to correct years of disparate enforcement of our cannabis laws that have criminalized Black and brown communities, poor white communities and patients,” said Senator Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia). “We’ve seen what works in other states and have prepared policy to end the prohibition of cannabis in Pennsylvania. We have a Governor who supports this. All we need is a vote.”
“It is disappointing that we could not get adult-use done with this budget but it is without question that a legalization bill must be the priority when we return to Harrisburg. The Governor is behind cannabis legalization, our state needs the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, and we have robust options to vote on including the bill I co-authored with Rep. Kaufer,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny County). “I look forward to bringing a bill to a vote this fall and ensuring Pennsylvania can benefit from more jobs, fixing the past harms of our criminal justice system, investing in social equity, and bringing Pennsylvania from behind the curve to the gold standard of legalization in our nation.”
“As the debate around this year’s budget focused on the long-term sustainability of new spending, it is critical that the legislature pass comprehensive adult-use legislation as a means of a new, recurring revenue source. Every day that we wait to legalize adult-use cannabis, tax revenue is crossing our borders and deposited into coffers of other states. Our message to policymakers is to ensure that PA tax dollars stay in our state. The priority in September must be adult-use legalization,” said Meredith Buettner, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition.
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ResponsiblePA is a newly formed coalition with the goal to help support the legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2024.With 90 percent of PA’s neighboring states already legalizing cannabis and a robust medical operation in Pennsylvania for nearly a decade – the ResponsiblePA coalition believes now is the time to legalize cannabis. We must create a solid social equity structure in Pennsylvania to be prepared for cannabis legalization. More on the coalition here.
