Leach: Wake Up and Legalize Marijuana in PA

Legislation to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania has entered the State Senate.

Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, this week proposed to introduce legislation to lift the “modern-day Prohibition” on consumption of marijuana, according to an opinion piece by Leach in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.

Leach’s bill would basically legalize marijuana consumption for adults aged 21 and older, without a reason for smoking it, according to the article.

Leach states in the article that the state government has wasted money on investigating and prosecuting citizens for use of drug, when said citizens have “hurt no one, damaged no property, breached no peace.”

“Their only ‘crime’ was smoking a plant which made them feel giddy,” Leach said.

To those who say marijuana is a gateway drug, Leach said research proves untrue.

“Well over 90 percent of those who use marijuana never go on to use harder drugs,” Leach said. “The percentage of people who do use hard drugs and had previously used marijuana is no higher than the percentage who had previously tried only beer.”

Read more on Leach’s statement on legalization here.