Fetterman to hold marijuana listening tour stops in Washington, Greene
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With his towering height, tattoos and dress-casual wardrobe, John Fetterman is not a conventional lieutenant governor, and he is kicking off his tenure as Pennsylvania’s second-in-command in a way that doesn’t resemble any of his predecessors.
Namely, he’s embarking on a statewide tour that will reach all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, gathering input from citizens and elected officials about the possibility of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. The tour started this month in Harrisburg, and will be coming to Washington and Greene counties early next week.
Fetterman will be at the Center on Strawberry at 59 E. Strawberry Ave., in Washington on Monday at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, he will be at Waynesburg University’s Alumni Hall at 51 W. College St. Both events are open to the public, and all state representatives, senators and commissioners from each county have been invited.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016. So far, 10 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. Proposals to make marijuana legal for recreational use are pending in New York and New Jersey. In a news release announcing Fetterman’s listening tour, Gov. Tom Wolf said, “More and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legalization, especially those surrounding Pennsylvania, and we should learn from their efforts, and better understand the potential fiscal impacts of this reality before taking any collective action.”
Wolf also said, “John’s efforts will help ensure we are looking at this issue from all perspectives and from every corner of Pennsylvania. We both want to make sure the voices of all Pennsylvanians are heard.”
At a stop on Fetterman’s listening tour in Johnstown on Monday, more than 100 people attended, according to the city’s Tribune-Democrat newspaper, with most expressing support for legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Among other things, supporters cited the tax revenue that could flow into the commonwealth’s coffers, while opponents argued that recreational marijuana should not be made legal until all the policy implications are sorted out.
Anyone who cannot attend or who wants to submit feedback online can do so at www.governor.pa.gov/recreational-marijuana-feedback/.