Montco lawmaker seeks sponsors for bill to legalize pot
Washington. Colorado. Pennsylvania? A Democratic lawmaker from Montgomery County plans to introduce a bill making marijuana use legal in Pennsylvania.
Montco lawmaker seeks sponsors for bill to legalize pot
Washington. Colorado. Pennsylvania?
A Democratic lawmaker from Montgomery County plans to introduce a bill making marijuana use legal in Pennsylvania.
What is Sen. Daylin Leach smoking, you might ask?
Common sense, he says.
Buoyed by the legalization of marijuana by voters in Washington and Colorado in the November election, Leach is circulating a memo seeking co-sposors for his bill to make pot legal in the commonwealth.
To Leach, the war on drugs, as it relates to marijuana is a waste of money and makes criminals out of otherwise law abiding citizens.
In Pennsylvania alone, there were 24,685 arrests for marijuana possession since 2006, according to the office of National Drug Control Policy.
That means $325 million to prosecute, incarcerate and disrupt the lives of thousands of people whose only crime, says Leach, "was smoking a plant which made them feel a bit giddy."
But could it happen in the socially conservative Pennsylvania legislature, where even medical marijuana legislation can't find its way out of committee let alone become law as it has in 19 states?
"I acknowledge that it may take a while," said Leach. "But like same-sex marriage, 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."
Leach said persecuting marijuana users is foolish, ill-conceived, costly and destructive policy must end.
His bill, he said, will remove the possession, use, and regulated sale of marijuana from the purview of our state's criminal justice system and legalize the consumption of marijuana for adults.
Leach adds the state could benefit from hundreds of millions in taxes on a product that continues to be trafficked underground.
Provisions of the legislation would include that marijuana be a regulated product, treated in a way similar to how alcohol is treated. It will be sold legally only in either state stores or beer distributors.
It still would be illegal to:
- Operate of motor vehicles under the influence of marijuana
- Possess narijuana if you are under the age of 21 or for an adult to sell it to a minor.
- It would be illegal to resell marijuana, as it is illegal to resell alcohol in Pennsylvania today.
- It would be illegal in public places - as alcohol is - and employers may prohibit its use on their property.
Said Leach: "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."
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Ask any police officer if they had the choice: arrest a room full of drunks doing boiler makers or a roomful of smoked-up potheads, what would they prefer. The choice is clear. And, yes, let's regulate strength, tax the hell out of it and sell it only through the LCB system. As conservative William F. Buckley proposed over 40 years ago, we can let those giddy incarcerates out of jail and make room for the gun toting miscreants who would waste your life for the change on your dashboard.— Paulo
Prisons r Big $$$ in PA & nationally. Plus they luv keeping MaryJane illegal to keep the brownies down! the we'd is harmless. Stop ALL prohibitions, creates jobs, taxes, etc. so much wrong with ALL our "wars". Free country? Portugal is freer than the USA.— tfcino1- Marijuana was made illegal because of the corporate greed of the 1930s and 1940s with Andrew Mellon and Lamont du Pont and their puppet Harry Anslinger but later was used an excuse to police the whole planet and hold minorities down, trillions has been spent at the cost of national and individual state economies. We have a revenue problem not just a spending problem regulating it like tobacco (not alcohol because it doesn't affect you like alcohol and it doesn’t have the health problems that it does at all) will bring in billions of dollars a year across the nation so we don't have to fight the republicans from trying to take social security from the elderly when it doesn't even add to the deficit. Marijuana is illegal today because the government has so much invested in keeping it illegal that they will loose money if they make it legal, this is creating corrupt federal and state officials and has torn a hole in the morale fabric of our government over the last 80 years which is “trust.” We are becoming a police state that has the right to put you in jail for the rest of your life for marijuana related non violent crimes, deny you of an ever growing amount of public assistance programs even after you have served your time, and build one of the fastest industries in the country “for-profit prisons” to make money off of caging grown men and women like animals creating the new "Jim Crow" of this century. A felon has fewer rights than a slave in the 1850s. We should be trying to elect someone like Michelle Alexander who is out there doing something about it for president in 2016 or we will destroy this country over corporate greed and racism. If we wouldn’t have taken the rights of everyone to vote, even if you are in prisoner, ex-convicted felon or anyone else, I guarantee that we wouldn’t have this problem. Give the rights back to the people!— bigjohn0513
Look at all the stoners— lathe- Yet another ''Dopey''proposal from Leach.His entire political career is full of them.And BTW neither history nor world wide demographics is on your side.— GREEKPICNIC
- i don't smoke pot anymore. I used to. and from my experience, I know how completely safe it is. no threat to anyone or anything. has there ever been a story on the news "man, high on weed, kills family of five". no. of course not. weed just makes you peaceful and happy and relaxed.— Ryan
- :-)— Tyrone Biggums
- If Willie Nelson's (behind Daylin) is for it, so am I.
- Wow, it's crazy how many people still, in this day and age, don't know the truth about marijuana. At least it's good to know we still have a lot of people with blind faith in this world. I thought that was out the window.
But yea, if you really believe all of the horror stories you were told about marijuana when you were a kid, you don't realize how wrong you are...
...and if you consume alcohol, you are the biggest hypocrite on this planet. You can't overdose on marijuana. You don't want to fight. You know when you are to stoned to drive, and even if you did, it would be fairly slow driving.
It's not a gateway drug either. Alcohol is definitely the gateway drug, but marijuana is not. When you have been drinking, you are way more likely to have lower inhibitions and try something new.— MFPhils - Just think of the advantage this would be to farmers, whose main crops fail, or by force of nature become more of a financial burden to grow, then to sell!!! Having this as a possible secondary crop, could overset any burden they may face!! Also, the amount of time, money, and jail time for (small possession) cases, could better served placing hard line criminals in jail!!!— Dadair1
- I agree 100% that it should be legalized. The real travesty is that only 18 states recoginze it for its medical value. Its being held back by big Pharma, the tobacco & alcohol lobbies. Its an outdated, illconcieved law perpetuated by lies. Its medicial value is well documented and as well as not being addictive and not having the life htreatening side affects of narcotic medications. Patients are not criminals. People deserve to have their suffering relieved. Im a 50 y.o (registered Republican) who is squarely in the Libertarian camp. Economically conservative and socially liberal. I have two masters degrees and three professional certifications. All you need to do is read up on cannabis to see the lies we have been force fed. start with reading at the Marijuana Policy Project website and sign up (www.mpp.org) and learn the facts and the truth about cannabis.
Legalize it now. Give people suffering much needed relief and get the government out of our lives.
Want to do something? Write your legislators. Its easy to do at www.mpp.org. Dont be afraid. The time to speak up is now. >50% of the country supports it and >80% of Pa. residents support medical marijuana. The tide is turning fast and we need to act fast to capitalize. Increased revenue, decreased costs and support patient rights.
Thank you Daylin Leach!— Vixxis
