Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania has indicated a willingness to consider the legalization of recreational marijuana. In a question and answer session with voters on Twitter on Wednesday, Wolf said that the experience with cannabis legalization in other states could serve as a guide.
“More and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legalization, and Pennsylvania should learn from their efforts,” Wolf said.
Wolf, who was elected to a second term by voters in the midterm elections last month, noted that legalizing recreational marijuana will have to be initiated by the state legislature.
“Any change would take legislation,” Wolf added. “But I think it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana.”
Both the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives are currently controlled by a Republican majority. As Wolf begins his new term in January, he will be joined at the Capitol by cannabis legalization advocate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.
Pennsylvania legalized the medicinal use of cannabis with bipartisan legislation that Wolf signed in 2016. He has overseen the implementation of the state’s new medical marijuana program, including the opening of the first licensed dispensary earlier this year. This month, regulators with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Advisory Board approved a process for adding new qualifying conditions to expand access to the program.
Decriminalization Bill Tabled
When Wolf first ran for governor in 2014, he called for the decriminalization of less than one ounce of marijuana. He stopped short of advocating for full legalization, however, saying he wanted to see if other states could successfully legalize cannabis.
In October, a bill that would have decriminalized marijuana, HB 928, stalled in the legislature after succeeding in a House Judiciary Committee vote by