Legal cannabis in Pennsylvania remains an issue of debate among the state’s lawmakers, but the state’s residents seem to have already made up their mind. A new survey shows 63% of the state’s voters support recreational cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania.

The survey, from the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College, found strong support for legal cannabis in Pennsylvania just as the state’s lawmakers started hearings on the issue. The survey results came from interviews conducted with 1,006 registered Pennsylvania voters, including 450 Democrats, 414 Republicans and 142 Independents.

Cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania has been a hot topic in the state. Pennsylvania finds itself as something of an illegal island, with most neighboring states already legalizing recreational cannabis, including  New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Maryland. That means that other than West Virginia, Pennsylvania is the only state in the region without legal recreational cannabis.

Lack of Legal Cannabis in Pennsylvania Could Cost State Millions

State lawmakers pointed out to ABC 27 in Harrisburg that with most surrounding states selling legal cannabis, Pennsylvania is missing out on revenue the state could make by setting up a regulated legal cannabis system. “We all have to come to the table, get behind a consensus bill, vote on it, fast-track it, and get it to the governors to sign it,” state Rep. Dave Madsen, a Democrat, said.

He and other lawmakers pointed out that residents in two of the state’s largest cities – Philadelphia and Pittsburgh – can now easily travel to nearby states to buy cannabis, then bring it back to Pennsylvania to use.

States across the country routinely take in millions every month in cannabis tax revenues and fees. California took in $713 million in cannabis tax revenue in 2022, according to the Tax Foundation. States closer in size to Pennsylvania also took in a staggering amount of cannabis revenue according to the foundation’s figures, including Colorado ($313 million), Illinois ($284 million), Michigan ($190 million) and Massachusetts ($248 million).

Governor Supports Legal Cannabis in Pennsylvania

Gov. Josh Shapiro supports legalization, as do Democrats who control the state House. While serving as state attorney of Pennsylvania, Shapiro posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account: “Legalize marijuana. Regulate it. Tax it. But let me be clear: legalization must include expungement for those in jail or who have served time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Our Black & brown communities have been disproportionately impacted by this for far too long.”

However, Democrats are not united by a single proposal, according to Axios. And Republicans who control the state Senate would likely kill any legalization bill that comes out of the House. A spokesperson for Kim Ward, the Republican party’s top leader in the Senate, told Axios that the senator will not back legalization in Pennsylvania until the federal government ends cannabis prohibition.

Despite the obstacles, and perhaps because of support from residents, the state is starting hearings on cannabis legalization. A hearing on the issue is scheduled before the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care.