Guest Opinion: Conservatives should rethink marijuana prohibition
In September, Gov. Tom Wolf publicly announced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana for adult use. Days later, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the state’s top law enforcement official, did the same.
Cannabis prohibition has been a heavy burden on Pennsylvania taxpayers. Approximately 20,000 Pennsylvanians are arrested per year for simple possession charges, costing the state tens of millions of dollars annually. This does not include lost tax revenue, which the auditor general estimates to be an annual $580 million.