The governor of Pennsylvania says he hasn’t given up on his push to legalize adult-use marijuana through the budget.
Despite resistance from Republican leaders, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said on Monday that cannabis legalization—as well as taxing skill games—remains part of his plan to offset the state’s budget deficit.
Pressed on the seeming unwillingness of GOP lawmakers to advance that agenda through the budget, which is technically eight weeks past a constitutionally mandated deadline to pass, Shapiro said “I’m not going to concede on any of those fronts.”
“I think we’ll be able to pass a fiscally responsible budget that cuts taxes and makes significant investments,” he said.
This comes as the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way overstated” potential revenue.
The candidate, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), pointed to neighboring Ohio, which launched its own adult-use cannabis market this year, saying “they generated about $115 million in revenue.” And while the populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected $536.5
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
