Pennsylvania\u2019s governor is increasing pressure on lawmakers to send him a bill to legalize marijuana in the state, saying that doing so would generate new revenue that could be invested in key programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile some in Harrisburg claim we can\u2019t afford to make bigger investments in our kids, public safety, and our economy, know this: If we legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis, we\u2019d bring in $1.3 BILLION in revenue for our Commonwealth over the first five years,\u201d Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said in a social media post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are dollars that can be invested back into our people and our communities,\u201d he said. \u201cStop with the excuses. Let\u2019s get this done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the governor again included marijuana legalization in his budget request to lawmakers<\/a>, but so far the legislature has not enacted the reform.<\/p>\n The Democratic-House of Representatives last year passed a bill to legalize marijuana and put sales in state-owned dispensaries<\/a>, but the Republican Senate majority has criticized that plan while also not advancing a cannabis legalization model of its own<\/a>.<\/p>\n