Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania, we asked our readers to share their opinions by answering the poll below. 

Along with voicing their opinions through our poll, readers sounded off in the comments section on our Facebook page where the poll was posted, sharing nuanced perspectives on Wolf’s proposal. 

Here are some of the comments we received.

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Adam

“This makes sense from a legal and tax revenue perspective. It ends the ridiculous disproportionate arrests of black and brown people for possession of marijuana. It also ends the waste of law enforcement, courts, and jail system’s money and time spent on arrests, processing paperwork for those arrests and incarcerating people. If the tax revenues help small businesses, infrastructure, and schools, for example, that’s wonderful! Seems like a ‘no-brainer’ to me.”

Wanda 

“Wolf is only looking for a way to make more money he can tap into because he’s mismanaged the finances in Pennsylvania and needs to make it up somewhere. Meanwhile people are losing their businesses, jobs, homes, morale, and self worth because of his unfair regulations. So sure give them something that will numb their brains so they don’t know what’s happening to them and won’t care, and he can go on his merry way and vacation in Florida.”

Lori

“I say no…. people abuse it and sell it and our kids get it…. so no I think the illegal drug needs to stay that way… and when caught with it, it needs to have harder punishment.”

Mike

“Certainly legalizing cannabis would raise hundreds of millions a year in annual revenue for the state. Hopefully if there is a bill that comes, the industry would be privatized from the get go and not run through a type of state wine and spirits store.”

Rachael

“There is literally not a single legitimate reason to oppose adult recreational use.”

Joshua

“Keeping pot illegal makes no sense when we have a drug like alcohol that is way worse. Let’s just be real, marijuana being illegal has nothing to do with if it’s dangerous for society, it’s just a way to target African Americans, Hispanics, and the poor.”

Steven

“How about we focus on getting everybody back to work and unemployment figured out. This is the least of our worries.”

Dest

“The democrats always want to legalize things that have a negative effect on people – gambling and now weed. They justify it with some ‘good cause.’ NO to legal weed.”

Elizabeth

“I’m a conservative and I still say who cares. Legalize it already.”

Ben

“He did the same thing a year ago! He actually said it was happening back then, and encouraged people with a pot charge on their record to start applying for expungement… what a joke.”

Melinda

“How about opening up Pa. before you do a stupid thing like this. Many businesses are still struggling and people need to get back to work.”

Jake

“Undeniably a good thing. Long overdue.”