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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/18/2024 07:32 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20230&cosponId=39958
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 27, 2023 10:02 AM
From: Representative David M. Delloso
To: All House members
Subject: Cannabis Legalization: State Stores (Formerly HB1180)
 
In 2017, police arrested over 27,000 Pennsylvanians for low-level cannabis possession. About $46 million in taxpayer money funded the prosecution of cannabis possession. Arrests for low-level cannabis possession remain high and continues to cost taxpayers money.  Furthermore, although African Americans use cannabis at a similar rate to White Americans, African Americans are almost four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession. Legalization of adult-use cannabis generated over 18,000 jobs in Colorado. A Pennsylvania Auditor General report projects that cannabis could be an $1.66 billion industry that generates hundreds of millions in tax revenue. 

However, permitting private companies to sell cannabis in Pennsylvania could allow large corporations to take over the cannabis industry, putting profits before the well-being of our communities.  For these reasons, my legislation will legalize adult use cannabis through the current state store system in order to ensure the safety and integrity of cannabis sales in Pennsylvania.  Additionally, this legislation would expunge low level cannabis convictions and permit individuals to grow up to six plants.  This would in turn free law enforcement to focus on the other issues our communities face and would reduce the racial disparity in the criminal justice system related to cannabis convictions.
 
Please join me in saving millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money while creating thousands of good jobs for hard-working Pennsylvanians by cosponsoring this legislation.

(Former Co-Sponsors: SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, MERSKI, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN, HARKINS, SCHWEYER, CIRESI, McNEILL, ISAACSON, GUZMAN, MALAGARI and D. WILLIAMS)


Introduced as HB1080