Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor is coming to Bucks County to hear opinions on the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat from the western portion of the state, will bring his listening tour to Bucks County Community College’s Zlock Performing Arts Center in Newtown Township on Wednesday, May 15. The listening tour will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The tour started in February and has hit 46 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties as of last week.
Fetterman said earlier this year that he wanted to make sure all residents have a say on the issue.
Both New Jersey and New York are moving toward legalizing recreational marijuana. They would join Alaska, Colorado, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Washington, and Vermont.
Just over 55 percent of Pennsylvania voters are in favor of marijuana legalization, according to a 2017 poll by Franklin and Marshall College.
Pennsylvania’s auditor general has called for recreational marijuana legalization. He stated Pennsylvania could collect $581 million a year in taxes from it.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said in 2018 that the state is not yet ready for the legalization of recreational marijuana. Earlier this year, he said he was interested in the feedback Fetterman would gather from around the state.
Pennsylvania already has a medical marijuana program that provides for legal marijuana use for certain medical problems. A number of dispensaries began to open in 2018, including Beyond / Hello in Bristol Township.
Residents unable to attend in person can submit their feedback online.
