West Chester Hosts Panel on Marijuana Legalization

State Sen. Daylin Leach's chief of staff will be in West Chester on Wednesday to discuss a senate bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in Pennsylvania. 

The discussion, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 709 South New Street starting at 7:30 p.m.

Panelists will include Leach chief of staff Zach Hoover; Dr. Stephen Clyburn, a political science professor at West Chester University; Dr. James Brenner, a public health professor who's involved with the university's alcohol and drug prevention effort; and Dr. Cassandra Reyes, a former probation officer and a criminal justice professor at WCU. 

According to an announcement posted on West Chester Patch: 

Mr. Hoover will be giving an informative summary of the bill, the panel discussion will follow, and the event will conclude with a question and answer session with Mr. Hoover and the panel.

Under current law, an individual arrested for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in Pennsylvania can be sentenced to a maximum of 30 days in jail and fined up to $500.  These simple possession arrests accounted for 79% of all marijuana arrests made in Pennsylvania in 2007.

SB 528 would legalize marijuana for Pennsylvanians over 21, tasking the PA Liquor Control Board with the regulatory specifics. 

The event is being hosted by the college's Students for Sensible Drug Policy.