Editor's Note: With a Republican-controlled house and a Republican governor up for re-election (who is anti-recreational-marijuana legalization), and Pennsylvania known as a largely Republican state (despite swinging across parties with votes for democratic candidates in every presidential election since 1992), marijuana advocates have their work cut out for them in this state, most immediately with ensuring the medical marijuana bill passes in the House.
While the decriminalization of marijuana takes effect in Philadelphia on Oct. 20 , the issue of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania has been making its way to the forefront of the gubernatorial election.
Remarks in Pennsylvania’s last gubernatorial debate indicate that the outcome of the governor’s race could decide whether medical marijuana becomes legal in the state in the near future.
“I do not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes,” Republican Governor Tom Corbett said in the Oct. 8 debate, largely avoiding the issue of medical marijuana. “It is a gateway drug that creates all of the drug problems that we are seeing in Pennsylvania and the United States.”
“We need to legalize medical marijuana immediately,” Democratic candidate Tom Wolf responded. However, he stopped short of supporting completely legalizing marijuana.
