Montco State Legislators Weigh In On Legalizing Marijuana

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Legalizing recreational marijuana has been a conversation seemingly just over the horizon in Pennsylvania for years now, and certainly since the medical marijuana bill was signed into law several years ago.

Now, Gov. Wolf has urged the state to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania as a way to help the economy recover from the coronavirus shutdowns. It's unclear what level of support this might enjoy from the general legislature. Several lawmakers from Montgomery County have expressed their explicit support, both now and in the past.

>>Gov. Wolf Calls For Marijuana Legalization To Boost Economy

State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44) says she will only back a legislative proposal which addresses the key points in Wolf's fall agenda: specifically, "restorative justice" measures for those convicted of marijuana related crimes.

"While I generally support the concept of adult use cannabis, I will only support legislation that includes the release and/ or automatic expungement and reparations for individuals with non-violent, marijuana-related criminal records, a specific process for safe sale similar to alcohol, and a stopgap to prevent privatization and corporate monopoly," she said on Monday.

It's not yet clear exactly what marijuana bill, if any, will be introduced in the wake of Wolf's push for it to be included in this fall's agenda. There have already been multiple recreational marijuana bills introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature in last two years that satisfy the key components laid out by Wolf and other Democrats like Muth.

The most recent was House Bill 2050, sponsored by a pair of southeastern Pennsylvania Democrats: State Sens. Sharif Street (D-3) and Daylin Leach (D-17). It hit the floor in February. That bill laid out a roadmap for taxing growers and redirecting funds to a variety of social programs. It also called for criminal justice through something called the Cannabis Clean Slate Initiative, which expunged all marijuana-related offenses from the records of non-violent drug offenders.

So Street and Leach's support of a potential measure would seem clear (Leach was recently defeated in the primary by challenger Amanda Capelletti, who is running for the Democratic seat in the 17th this November). So too is State Sen. Maria Collett's (D-12); she said that she was "encouraged" that recreational marijuana was among the governor's priorities.

While State Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24) voted in support of the medical marijuana bill years ago, he has not spoken publicly recently on recreational marijuana. In an op-ed issued in the wake of Gov. Wolf's announcement last week, however, he excoriated the governor's legislative priorities, without naming pot specifically.

"Our commonwealth’s economy remains threatened," Mensch wrote. "Small businesses are hanging on by the skin on their teeth. Families continue to struggle trying to create a sense of normalcy. Our entire hospitality industry, especially restaurants and bars, are faltering and near business failure. Your fall agenda deals with none of these more immediate and much more important issues."

Also on the other side of the aisle, State Rep. Todd Stephens (R-151) was another supporter of the medical marijuana bill who has vocalized skepticism on recreational pot in the past.

Montgomery County state representatives Joe Ciresi (D-146) and Tim Briggs (D-149) also supported a 2019 bill to legalize recreational pot, HR 50.

The latest push from state leadership to legalize pot has seemed inevitable ever since Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro first announced their support of the measure in fall 2019. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has long been an outspoken supporter, and hosted a series of "listening tours" around the state last year to discuss the issue and gather feedback from residents.