During a press briefing on Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) was asked about the legalization of recreational marijuana.
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00:00No, I just wanted to ask about the new funding tax revenue proposed for legalizing recreational marijuana, skills-based games.
00:07Can you give us an update on what those discussions look like?
00:10Is your goal still to have it?
00:11We've had some good conversations that have been ongoing, particularly on the skill game side.
00:16I think folks understand the importance of finally regulating and taxing both of those issues,
00:24and we're going to continue to work through it over the next few weeks here.
00:27We've had really good, honest dialogue about it.
00:30We still have it legalized in line with the June 30th budget deadline.
00:33That's my hope.
00:33I mean, look, I think this is an issue of—you're talking now about recreational marijuana.
00:38I think this is an issue of competitiveness.
00:41Every state around us, with the exception of West Virginia, has gotten it done.
00:45You go visit some of these dispensaries along our border, in this case with Maryland, it's probably the closest one here.
00:52Sixty percent of the people walking into those dispensaries are from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
00:56It's true in Ohio, it's true in New York, it's true in Jersey.
00:59The reality is we've got to catch up.
01:02And instead of going and funding schools and parks and roads and bridges and mass transit in other states,
01:08I want those revenues to stay here in Pennsylvania.
01:11I also think it's really important that we regulate what is now a black market system.
01:15And it is critically important that we have a justice component to this and wipe away the convictions of those who have on their record possession of small amounts of marijuana.
01:27It's time to have some justice in that space as well.
01:30So I'm hopeful we'll be able to get it done.
01:31The Senate, pardon me, the House passed a measure a few weeks ago.
01:37It was supported by these two representatives here.
01:40I called it at the time sort of an opening salvo in this.
01:43The Senate has different ideas.
01:45They should put their ideas on the table.
01:47But we can't cede this ground to other states.
01:49It's time for Pennsylvania to be more competitive.
01:52And I'm hopeful we'll get this done.