Top Pennsylvania Official Supports Legal Marijuana

The top fiscal officer in Pennsylvania is calling on his state to join the growing number of others that are legalizingmarijuana

The regulation and taxation of the marijuana train has rumbled out of the station, and it is time to add a stop in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,"Eugene DePasquale, the state's auditor general, said in a press conference on Monday.

DePasquale's department ischiefly responsible for performing financial audits of government agencies across the commonwealth, so he knows a thing or two about the state's revenue needs.

"Other states are already taking advantage of the opportunity for massive job creation and savings from reduced arrests and criminal prosecutions," he said."In addition, it would generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year that could help tackle Pennsylvanias budget problems.

But the fiscal officer said that there are more reasons to legalize marijuana than just dollars and cents.

There is also social impact, specifically related to arrests, and the personal, emotional, and financial devastation that may result from such arrests, he said.

The push comes at a critical time for the marijuana policy reform movement, as the Trump administration has in a recent weeks sent signals that it is considering reversing the president's campaign pledges to respect state cannabis laws.

Last week, for example, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that marijuana use is linked to violence.

"It's one of the craziest things I've heard coming out of the mouth of an AG,"DePasquale said.

On Twitter, he added, "If we're gonna operate our state in fear of a man like @jeffsessions,we've already lost."

Gov. Tom Wolf, also a Democrat, signed a bill legalizing medical cannabis into law last year. He has also endorsed decriminalizing marijuana possession but has stopped short of calling for full legalization, saying that the state should "learn from the experience of other states" that have ended ...