Once when talking about the failures of some “green” business ventures in Homewood, activist Paradise Gray quipped that “the only green business in the hood is selling weed.”
Well, that could turn out to be truer than he thought.
With the boom in tax revenue expected in the states of Colorado and Washington following their legalization of marijuana, Allegheny County Councilman Bill Robinson has introduced a Sense of Council bill in support of pending state legislation to do the same.
If approved, Robinson’s bill would call for the state general assembly to support Senate Bill 528, the “Regulate Marijuana Act,” which is currently in the Law and Justice Committee. The senate bill would regulate and tax the sale of marijuana just as it does alcohol now, with the same restrictions on sales to minors, public intoxication, driving under the influence, etc.
It would, in fact, be sold through the State Store system. It would also, Robinson said, save $325 million annually enforcement costs.
Robinson said that at a time when schools are closing and laying off teachers, that level of waste, for arresting same-time users and dealers, is unconscionable. Robinson’s bill also notes the medical benefits of legalization for patients undergoing cancer treatment, glaucoma patients and children with severe epilepsy.
SB 528 is sponsored by Daylin Leach, D-Delaware Co.; Lawrence Farnese, D-Philadelphia, and Jim Ferlo, D-Lawrenceville, and was first introduced in April.
Ferlo, however, is currently focusing on a narrower bill, SB 1182, which legalizes marijuana for medical purposes only, and for which he said there is much broader support, especially among Republicans. He held a public hearing on the bill Jan. 28.
“It is tortuous to here mothers testify about their children’s seizures, which respond to marijuana–without the psychoactive components–and not have that treatment option,” he said. “Not to mention, 80 percent of the public supports medical marijuana.”
But, given his choice, Ferlo favors marijuana legalization, regulation and taxation for all uses, medical and recreational.
“Obviously I’m very pleased to hear of Councilman Robinson’s effort. One only has to look at the devastation the failed ‘war on drugs’ has caused in the African-American community,” he said. “There are 25,000 marijuana arrests each year, mostly users. After that, these people can’t even get jobs cleaning bedpans in nursing homes. Then there are the deaths of police officers over this. It’s insane.”
So, though he is concentrating on SB 1182, he thanked Robinson for keeping up awareness on SB 528.
“Bill’s effort is important. Advocacy is a must, and I appreciate his support,” said Ferlo.
Though there is no companion legislation for SB 528 in the state house, state Rep. Paul Costa, D-Monroeville, is among the co-sponsors for companion bill to SB 1182, HB 1181, the Raymond P. Shafer Compassionate Use of Marijuana Act.
Robinson is scheduled to introduce his bill in council Feb. 5.
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
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