Pennsylvania’s neighbors to the north and east were seemingly hot on the trail of legalizing marijuana and it didn’t go unnoticed by Gov. Tom Wolf.
The strong interest in legalizing recreational cannabis coming out of New York and New Jersey was cited as a reason why Wolf sent Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on a statewide listening tour to hear what Pennsylvanians thought of the idea.
Fetterman, a legalization proponent, completed his tour on May 19. That coincidentally was right around the time reports were coming out that New York lawmakers’ enthusiasm about legalization had waned and in New Jersey, immediate efforts for pursuing it had changed course.
Lawmakers in New Jersey now are pushing ahead with expansion of its medical marijuana program and making plans for a binding referendum on recreational uses of pot to go on the ballot in November 2020.