Last week, state Senator from Montgomery County Daylin Leach announced his intentions to file legislation that would legalize the adult use of marijuana, in a way similar to the laws recently approved in Colorado and Washington.
“I acknowledge that it may take a while, but like same-sex marriage,” stated Sen. Leach, “this will inevitably happen. Demographics and exposure will in time defeat irrational fears, old wives tales and bad science. This bill furthers the discussion, which hastens the day.”
This legislation, if approved, would help halt the arrest of thousands of Pennsylvanians annually. Since 2006, 24,685 arrests were made for just marijuana possession at a cost of over 300 million dollars to the state’s taxpayers.
“It is time for Pennsylvania to be a leader in jettisoning this modern-day prohibition, and ending a policy that has been so destructive, costly, and anti-scientific,” Sen. Leach declared.
Pennsylvania has long been considered a bellwether state, so to see the issue at least being entertained in the state legislature can only be a positive sign of things to come. Let’s hope other elected officials in Pennsylvania join with state Senator Leach to support these sensible reforms.
If NORML’s Take Action Center is anything to go by, the citizens of the Keystone State want it. In just the first 24 hours of going live, Pennsylvanians sent over 900 emails and letters to their elected officials urging them to support this legislation.
If you live in Pennsylvania and want to join in the call for marijuana legalization, simply click here and you can easily send a prewritten email or letter to your elected officials telling them it is time to support legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana, not criminalize it.
PENNSYLVANIANS: Click here to contact your representatives in favor of this bill today!
Don’t live in Pennsylvania? There is already marijuana reform legislation filed in ten other states, with many more sure to follow in the coming days. Be sure to keep checking NORML’s Take Action Center to see if your state is one of them and to contact your officials!
Together, we can NORMLIZE CONGRESS. Together, we will legalize marijuana.
Just a food for thought. Maybe they don’t want to legalize it yet b/c, CO & WA state are just a test dumbies. too see how it will work out?
http://articles.mcall.com/2013-02-16/news/mc-pc-marijuana-legalization-20130216_1_tommy-guns-marijuana-legalization-bill-illegal-booze
i don’t live here anymore.
it needs to happen im tired of going down for little amounts watching my friends lose their kids go to jail cause of delinquent fines due because of possesion of paraphenlia its bull shit it will only do good things for our country for the debt we are all in it will create jobs and everybodys pockets will get heavier over time its the best idea since sliced bread
Legalization will lower the number of folks in prison, saving tax dollars, while also raising the tax revenue as each purchase will carry some percentage that goes to state gov. Would you rather some one get safe and top quality stuff that raises tax revenue, or have your kid’s trolling in alley’s in the ghetto…there gonna get it one way or the other
I’ll believe it when I see it.
OMG —prisons have folks in there that were caught with a pipe and some “grass”—I bet that most of the legislatures have had a “drink” or two but are we to forget what prohibition was all about and the many lives it took before someone realized that we do have a brain and yes you can drink and yes, unfortunately some people have a problem with alcohol, just like some people have a issue with gambling—do the math and create an atmosphere of common sense with the medical use of cannabis–we are losing farms in Pa at an alarming rate–give the farmers the right to grow hemp–let’s step up to the plate and put the drama aside and open a vigorous discussion on the issue–“Let’s get it off the street and into a license establishment!!
it will not happen in this state until there is a federal ruling.
otherwise like every single time before they will just side line it ignore it and forget about it, shuffle it under the carpet.
it was supposed to be up for vote more then a handful of times and it gets forgotten.
if it wasn’t for the kick-back money it would be legal in a heartbeat…much better than booze……and that also is a reason to keep it illegal
Everyone knows today that through regulation, decriminalization, through control they can make millions if not billions.
this state is backwards.
i have no idea why they would waste such a valuable resource when so many cancer patients suffer, and so many people in chronic pain suffer and so many veterans suffer needlessly.
heck it’s safer then aspirin, Aspirin can kill you. Booze can Kill you.
this will on it’s own taken responsibly will not.
one of the best vegetable on this planet.
how can we make a vegetable, a plant illegal for existing?
i will hold my comments on the states Governor. however i do believe he should be investigated by the police and the IRS.
So how will this affect me if i get hurt at work? or those whom get randomly tested at work? Some of us will still get the bone 🙁
ok so i had to quit for a good job. Not worth the risk of getting hurt. Also i hear they can random urinalysis us but haven’t in years…
I like smoking for several reasons.
1. I’m a vet. It calms me nerves 🙂
2. Not a big fan of drinking. DUI cops are festering around every corner in my town even when you walk home. It makes you feel like garbage the next day or two. but i do enjoy the occasional cold beer.
So if it is legalized then what? Can i still get nailed on a urine sample at work? Just because it’s in my urine doesn’t mean i’m stoned at work…
What do the rest of you think in regards to that?
Yes but it makes you FAT
If it’s ok to close schools and build prisons then it’s ok to legalize marijuana
Once it’s legal, it will create revenue, by taxing it at a fair rate, it will definitely create more jobs, put the farming industry back to work, they in turn will need employees to help with the work, it will help rebuild the “mom & pop” businesses with needing centers to sell it, meanwhile creating taxes at every level that’s FAIR, it will allow agents who are currently used in the drug wars, to be shifted to more serious areas, like illegal gun trafficking, harder drugs on the streets that are actually killing our kids, and it will create not only saved revenue, from less incarcerations, but will also create more room in prisons for more serious offenders WITHOUT the costs of building bigger and more expensive facilities. And in the end, we can, as a country that has an abundance of farm land, possibly become an exporter of a bumper crop of incoming revenue to countries where it’s already legal, but, don’t have the weather or the farm land to grow it for themselves. And lastly, in the medical world, it’s been successful in treating many life threaening diseases and ailments, without ANY of the more serious side effects of certain medicines that are currently legal and on the market APPROVED by the FDA!! This will finally bring about AFFORDABLE medicines AND health insurance rates because the pharmeceutical companies will be FORCED to reduce their rates, just to compete in the fair market place. That, to me anyway, is a TRUE “win\win” for the American people. Aho!!
if you google alcohol deaths vs. marijuana deaths, you will see the numbers. alcohol=thousands, marijuana=0.
While I was fighting breast cancer at the age of 27, it was the only thing that helped me through it much more than the $700 pharm drug I tried. I won the battle!!
As we all know, cigarettes and alcohol are two products that aren’t the healthiest ingredients to use. They are harmful and we keep purchasing. The price gets higher and higher. It’s amazing the money that people pay to poison their bodies. At least with marijuana it’s a natural growing plant with no added poisons such as arsenic. With the use of marijuana, I believe the world would be a better place b/c for many people it’s a great calmer. It’s a natural herb that can help slow down glaucoma, help a person relax who can’t relax, help a person eat who can’t eat, decrease pain. It’s calming so there is less anger and fighting amongst people. It has many great causes and I believe America will be less stressed and society will be calmer and just maybe we will have less fighting etc. It’s called calming down. It’s true, Smoke America, light up and see how calming this wonderful herb can be.
pee tests at work should only apply or be given or demanded if the safety of others is in involved. period.
used to be illegal to pee test at work and schools. we gave that right to privacy up for some reason.
it used to be my body my fluids are my own. period end of story.
yes it does calm nerves and help with ptsd.
i wish the Governor was not such a conservative.
would have passed it but every time it is supposed to go for a vote they ignore it.
i know a lot of cancer and hospice patients who it would ease their suffering.
i know a lot of vets, and people who worked rebuilding things who have ptsd from what we can not will not talk about who it would help.
Things best forgotten.
i have no problem with doctors using it or in general anyone else as long as it is used responsibly.
no toke before work, or when on call you know?
not if lives are n the line.
seriously.
and honestly it would really boost the economy and reduce the cost of court, jail time over a plant. a vegetable.
we are discriminating against an entire plant species for no reason other then someones old black and white out of date inaccurate fear campaign.
sorry but the govt. needs t listen to the people for it is WE THE PEOPLE not the WE THE OVERLORDS.
sorry that’s my opinion. subject to change daily.
I really cannot believe that the government would rather people use narcotics(man made chemicals) instead of a plant that God put on this earth for our use. People don’t overdose on pot but think of how many of our children, friends, and neighbors have died from taking narcotics. When are our leaders going to realize that they need to start protecting us.
I got pulled over in june and had 3grams on me. The cop said he smelled pot but I wasn’t smoking, he took me in Delaware county hospital for a blood test and charged me for a dui. Not because I was driving high or anything but because I had pot in my system for prior use. Now I have to go through the whole dui(pot) ard thing. to make things worse there was no alcohol involved, why because I don’t drink. The cop was irritated because he was trying to get me to admit to alcohol use but I told him I don’t drink repeatedly and he got mad so charged me. I tell you im going through this for no reason. for little 3grams that I even admitted I had in my car. I took my drug alcohol evaluation and did not need ANY treatment classes, thank God because that would’ve been a waste of my time but surely beneficial to them moneywise. Sept 26 is my ard hearing. Im so pissed about this. They want to burn me for a lil 3 grams and because my blood had thc in it. while others are driving drunk and killing people. As soon as im done with this bullshit in Delaware county, im outta here. Its really ridiculous. This whole thing is a money scheme. I cant wait to get the hell out of this bitchass state. I will not recommend anyone to move to Delaware county because of the police harassment and senseless arrests.
im a veteran also with a list of issues, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, anxiety, depression. Lets see what they wanna do with me, a person who served their country but now want to bury me for POT, CMON upper darby police, you guys are lame
With so many money issues today at all levels of society, and an already accepted recreational resource with truly minor negatives, there is no stopping this. It may take time, but things are happening faster than anyone a few years ago thought possible.
it is time to support legislation to legalize it… its not legal but alcohol is and how many people are killing by drinking and driving . poor innocent people…. i am a avid smoker been for many yrs due to my medical issues ,(depression, degenerative disk disease arthritis. drs just want to keep giving me pills all these damn pills are doing is making me sick. they aren’t helping my problems or making me feel any better.. also my mom has cancer and has been getting radiation she needs this too to help her cancer… please ? legalize this for not just medical but recreational as well….
i’m all for legalizing. can you imagine the tax dollars the gov. can make on this. having this avsilable to the public would be a monopoly. especially at the prices if it today compared to 30 years ago. if goverment even charges half of the street value for small quanities this would be the biggest countries money maker yet!
If legalized then they are going to have to establish a toxicity level at work. Smoked pot in early August, took a piss test in Mid September and failed because their permissible level was 10 mg and mine was 16. and they did believe and knew that I was telling the truth that I had not used in over a month but it was in my system and I failed for that job. I tested myself with first check home drug testing kit and passed twice, but the company sent my urine sample to an independent lab and I failed. I could not argue because pot is illegal. Wish they would legalize already.
It is time for Obama to put an end to this injustice.
Alcohol is so bad that it makes people who smoke, act like angels
Comparatively.
I fully support sen. leach in his quest to throw out the antiquated way the government treats people who choose to use marijuana in an adult fashion .
I do not use it but I tried it a few times when I was a kid and I think it was a hell of a lot safer than alcohol, I guess it’s all about money again if they can tax it then it will be legal, we the people know the government doesn’t care about our well being all they care about is the cold cash.
It would be sweet if the links in the article worked. I need this law to pass for my arthritis.
i will believe it if i see it.
they constantly ignore and forget this bill ad ones like it.
it will not pass in this state with our (WE THE PEOPLES) elected officials.
they enjoy to much money going on fancy vacations and blowing fortunes on paintings for their egos from the taxes, and to many people make money off of it being illegal.
so not going to happen and anyone who thinks it will is fooling themselves.
i have a script and that will not help me one bit in the state it is evil, and so are it’s officials they would rather jail a cancer patient, and veteran then give US comfort.
stop fooling yourselves go out and when the time comes to re elect do not vote the same lairs into office.
My son an adult was fined 1,200 dollars when his car was searched and the Ambler,Pa cops found a tiny ten dollar bud of Marijuana.There reason for searching his car, while he was parked outside of his girlfriends house not smoking, was that they saw a pack of cigars.First of all they had no reason to approach the car,he was doing nothing illegal!Then to say aha,I see a pack of cigars,that is a reason for a reasonable search,is also ridiculous.Enough people’s rights have been trampled on, over an herb that is God given and, been used medicinally for thousands of years by our more enlightened ancestors!Re-Legalize Now!
By the way Fix the Links Please so that citizens of Pa can voice there opinion!!Our current governor is a backwards idiot.He doesn’t have a progressive neuron in his small brain.But the fact is, that the GREAT FATHERS of our COUNTRY WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON grew Hemp!I’m sure they grew some Females as well for medicinal use!Sadly our Governor is no WASHINGTON or JEFFERSON,sadly he is a money grubbing,conservative idiot.Let’s vote this money grubbing Evil politician out of office.Support WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON and vote Corbett out of office for the good of the PEOPLE in Pennsylvania! Vote
My wife died after losing her battle with cancer. During her chemo and rad treatment the thousands of dollars spent on legal pharmaceuticals did nothing for her pain or appetite. A small bit of pot consistently improved mood allowed her to eat, improved her mood dramatically, and relieved her pain without rendering her unconscious or incoherent as did her prescribed meds.
As for myself I have used it recreationally my entire adult life. I never realized how much it controlled my own arthritic pain until I recently quit to “clean up” for a new job that requires a urine screen. I now require 1600 – 2000 mg or more of ibuprofen to remain functional. Functional, not pain free.
as usual, PA. will be the last state. they are so slow here.
The Bill or Marijuana is for Doctors Only, they will be able to prescribe and control amounts for patients.
The police will look favorably on chemical DUI and instead of a possession charge the guilty will go immediately into the same system as any other DUI. it is for the revenue.
The main reason marijuana is “better” than booze is because it IS illegal. repealing prohibition was a bad idea.
CBD Thats all they need to know! They are to fixed on the THC of weed that everyone for gets about all the other things it will provide for the people.
help pa legalize sign the potation only a fue hundred more ever one counts over 2000 so pleas for the people that are in need and are being failed bi the medication out for the sizes and spasms fare