Harrisburg, PA — As Pennsylvania faces budget shortfalls and economic uncertainty, a new report from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) highlights a powerful solution hiding in plain sight: adult-use cannabis. According to the report, Pennsylvania could generate between $1 billion and $1.4 billion in tax revenue during the first four years of legal cannabis sales—if lawmakers move swiftly to legalize.
Drawing on revenue data from states like Arizona, Maryland, and Michigan, the MPP estimates that legal cannabis could bring in $105 to $236 million in its first year alone. By year four, the annual total could rise to $610 million—a much-needed boost for a state trying to balance its books.
The opportunity is massive, but political disagreements threaten to delay it. Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 1200, a bill to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older, with sales exclusively through state-run stores. Just days later, the Senate Law and Justice Committee voted it down, citing concerns about the cost and inefficiency of a state-controlled system.
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