Lawmakers have mixed reaction to Wolf’s pot proposal
Ranging from hope to concern, local lawmakers offered mixed reactions to Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for the decriminalization and legalization of adult use of recreational marijuana.
Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman discussed the final report from Fetterman’s statewide recreational marijuana listening tour last week. Wolf said he believes Pennsylvanians support changes to pot laws and called upon lawmakers to seriously debate and consider the legalization of adult-use, recreational marijuana.
The report also called for decriminalizing non-violent and small cannabis-related offenses and putting a law into place that would expunge convictions for such crimes.
“Our communities and our residents are facing so many serious problems, and this is what the governor and the lieutenant governor choose to focus on?” asked state Rep. Ryan Warner, R-Perryopolis.
“Instead of doing a tour about legalizing marijuana, maybe they should visit every county to explore how we could end the deadly opioid crisis, bring family-sustaining jobs to our communities, reduce the property tax burden on hard-working Pennsylvanians, or address our fire and emergency services agencies that are struggling to keep their doors open,” Warner said.
He said the listening tour, which came to each of the state’s 67 counties, was a distraction from more serious issues that Pennsylvanians are facing.
“With all the challenges that we are confronted with, the discussion about legalizing marijuana for recreational use should be, in my opinion, at the very bottom of our list of priorities … if it’s even on the list at all,” Warner said.
State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, said decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of cannabis makes sense to her. It would avoid thousands of people from having a misdemeanor possession charge on their record that could haunt them for the remainder of their lives, she said.
“These permanent marks on an individual’s record hinder one’s ability to obtain work, housing, child care, among other essential needs for a productive lifestyle,” Bartolotta said.
She co-sponsored legislation that reduces an offense for possession of a small amount of pot to a summary offense, which is the same level of offense as a speeding ticket. The bill is before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Bartolotta said she hopes her colleagues will support it.
State Rep. Matthew Dowling, R-Uniontown, has concerns about legal ramifications of the state legalizing pot, which is in conflict with federal law.
“While Gov. Tom Wolf’s report notes that attendees of his statewide listening tour support removing cannabis from its current classification as a Schedule 1 drug, that hasn’t happened (federally) yet,” Dowling said. “The report also states that the current classification complicates taxation, banking and other areas regulated by federal laws.”
Along with sharing those concerns, Dowling said he’s also concerned for the state’s gun owners. Dowling said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a warning in 2011, stating that because cannabis is illegal at the federal level, recreational and medical users of the drug cannot possess guns.
“Passing a state law in direct contradiction with a federal law, which takes precedence, would create a slew of issues,” Dowling said. “Rather than move in that direction, we are better served to handle the issues facing the commonwealth over which the general assembly has jurisdiction.”