Governor Tom Wolf had a Twitter conversation with constituents on Wednesday when someone asked him when Pennsylvania would “catch up and make recreational marijuana legal.”
Wolf responded, “I think it’s time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana.”
Judy Rosser, Executive Director of Blair County Drug and Alcohol Prevention, said marijuana is the gateway to the abuse of harder drugs.
“We would not want to see another substance that can be abused, and result in dependency, be legalized. It increases access, and it puts our youth at risk. Right now, coming in our doors, the primary drug of choice by adolescents is marijuana,” Rosser said.
Ian Gibbs, the Education Outreach Manager at Herbology in Altoona, said his company is excited by the governor’s statement.
“We are depriving the whole community of medicine that could be extremely beneficial to their health, and the only way we’re gonna move forward and see some progress as far as research and having the data to prove these facts is allowing recreational market,” Gibbs said.
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Depasquale said he welcomes Governor Wolf’s statement.
“Numerous Pennsylvania cities have already started to decriminalize possession and the state has already approved medical marijuana. it’s time for the general Assembly to have a serious discussion about taking the next step,” Depasquale said.
Locals had mixed reactions to Governor Wolf’s statement.
Many folks said they were supportive of medical marijuana, but didn’t want recreational to be legalized.
The governor has not announced anything specific about the legalization process.