HARRISBURG – Saying generated tax revenues would strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy, Governor Tom Wolf is calling on the state legislature to legalize taxable adult-use cannabis.
“I urge the legislature to join me in building a foundation now to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy by legalizing cannabis for adult use,” Wolf said. “This is revenue that can help Pennsylvanians adversely impacted by the criminal justice system access restorative justice programs, it can be earmarked to help our historically disadvantaged small businesses weather the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, and it will give our economy a much-needed boost.”
The state and federal mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused enormous disruptions to Pennsylvania’s economy, and with additional federal aid stagnating in Congress, Wolf said adult-use cannabis legalization now will go a long way in helping the state’s economy recover in the future.
Some states that have legalized adult-use cannabis have received hundreds of millions in additional revenue, Wolf said.
Wolf stressed that while it will take time to build a system that will bring in that level of revenue in Pennsylvania, there are things the legislature can and should do now to ensure that the state and its residents can benefit from that revenue as soon as possible.
“The decriminalization and legalization of adult-use cannabis are what the people of Pennsylvania want,” Gov. Wolf said. “I urge the General Assembly to listen to them.”
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