August 29, 2016
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on Monday reiterated his support to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use in the state.
During an on-air interview with Scott LaMar, host of "Smart Talk" on Harrisburg's WITF radio, Wolf was asked if legalization of marijuana could help Pennsylvania dig its way out of budget shortfalls.
Yes, I do support decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of marijuana in PA. - TW https://t.co/kccVXmaXv5
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) August 29, 2016
Wolf replied that he ran for the office of governor on a platform of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and legalizing medical marijuana — which Pennsylvania did earlier this year — but that he wasn't sure if the state needed more than that.
"Too many people are being sent to prison because of the use of a very modest amount of marijuana, or for carrying a very modest amount of marijuana, and that is clogging up our prison system, it's destroying families and it's hurting our economy," he said on the radio show. "So, I think decriminalizing is a first step... I'm not sure we need to go beyond that."
Wolf did say, however, that while some municipalities like Philadelphia and more recently, Pittsburgh, have already decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, he'd like to see decriminalization statewide.
"I think in a lot of local municipalities, decriminalization has already taken place... I think we need to do that in a more systematic fashion," Wolf said.
LaMar pointed to increased tax revenues in Colorado following legalization of the drug there as a benefit, but Wolf stopped short of supporting full legalization of marijuana, saying legalization could impact other sources of state revenue.
Wolf did not specify those sources, but Pennsylvania is one of only 17 states that controls alcohol sales and the only state other than Utah to control wine sales. Certainly, the state would want to study the effect that legalized marijuana might have on its state store revenues. Wolf said he'd like to learn more about how marijuana legalization is impacting tax revenues in Colorado.
"[There's] still a lot to learn as to how much income Colorado is actually generating and how many other revenue streams are actually suffering because of this," he said. "We just don't know."
Wolf pointed to the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians as a reason for not pushing for full legalization of the drug, saying the potential of increased revenues cannot be the driving force.
"If you reduce this issue to whether it raised the revenue for the commonwealth, I think you're missing some important dimensions," the governor said.
Still, Wolf said he wouldn't rule out full legalization, at some point.
"I'm willing to keep an open mind and look at this, but, as I said, I ran on decriminalization on recreational marijuana and legalization of medical marijuana," he said. "Those two are very different things."
Asked if Wolf's statements would help boost his cause, Philadelphia marijuana activist Nikki Allen Poe noted a bill is set to be introduced in Harrisburg in September that could do exactly what the governor proposes.
The bill, to be introduced by state Rep. Ed Gainey (D-24) of Allegheny County, would permit Pennsylvanians to carry up to "thirty grams or less of marijuana or eight grams or less of hashish" — a substance made from marijuana extract —without needing to worry about being arrested and prosecuted for possessing the drug for recreational purposes.
"We've realized it's absurd to put people in our prison system for possessing a plant," said Poe.
Poe said he supported the governor's efforts to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, and said that decriminalization could help fill a gap left by the state's medical marijuana law.
While full implementation of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana law is going to take up to two years, a safe harbor program in place that will allow parents and legal guardians of children who need medical marijuana to obtain medical marijuana out of state, until it's available here.
"He went ahead and signed it because he thought he was doing the right thing, and in many ways, he was," said Poe about Wolf supporting medical marijuana legalization. "But what about those thousands of patients across Pennsylvania risking arrest?"
Poe said that decriminalization of small amounts, statewide, could help those who have to wait for medical marijuana, but argued that actions speak louder than words.
"I hope that the proper infrastructure comes to light through which we can implement [this]," he said of Gainey's decriminalization bill.
