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Wolf calls for ‘serious’ look at legalizing pot

Governor signals openness to decriminalizing recreational use

The Associated Press

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf cast aside his unwillingness to discuss the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes and on Wednesday signaled that he is open to taking a look at it.

Wolf, a Democrat, made the comment while answering questions from the public on Twitter, saying “it is time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at recreational marijuana.”

“More and more states are successfully implementing marijuana legalization,” and Pennsylvania should learn from their efforts, Wolf said.

Previously, Wolf had said he would want to study the experience of states where it is legal before deciding whether to support legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana. However, he has never initiated any sort of study of it or suggested that the time is right for his administration to look into it.

With his second term set to start in January, Wolf will be joined by a lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, who has long supported the full legalization of marijuana.

Such a change would require action by Penn­sylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature, and leaders there have never sought to start a discussion about it.

Wolf signed Penn­sylvania’s medical marijuana law in 2016, passed with strong bipartisan support from lawmakers, and he has overseen the program’s implementation, be­ginning with the first sale last February. He also ran for governor in 2014 supporting the decriminalizing possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

Possession or sale of marijuana for other purposes remains a crime in the state, although Philadel­phia, Pittsburgh and several other Pennsylvania cities have decriminalized possession of small amounts.

Colorado and Washing­ton first approved the sale of recreational marijuana in 2012. Now, 10 states and the District of Columbia have approved recreational marijuana, including Mich­i­gan and Vermont this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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