A poll measure calling on state leaders to decriminalize marijuana in Pennsylvania loved robust assist from Philadelphia’s voters on Tuesday, receiving greater than 72 p.c of ballots solid in a citywide election. 

Philadelphia’s Query 1 amends the Philadelphia House Constitution to name on the governor and the Pennsylvania Normal Meeting “to move laws that may decriminalize, regulate and tax the use and sale to adults aged 21 years or older, of hashish for non-medical functions.” The measure doesn’t by itself change state legislation or considerably affect the residents of Philadelphia, which successfully decriminalized possession of small quantities of hashish seven years in the past.

A ‘Loud Message’ for State Lawmakers

As of early Wednesday afternoon native time, Query 1 had obtained greater than 129,000 votes, or 72.73 p.c of ballots solid, with greater than 96 p.c of precincts reporting outcomes. 

Pennsylvania Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who’s presently operating for U.S. Senate, and has been an outspoken proponent of hashish coverage reform, visited the entire state’s 67 counties in 2019 to carry city corridor conferences exploring points surrounding the legalization of adult-use hashish. He believes that it’s time for state lawmakers to heed the persevering with requires marijuana legalization, together with these expressed by Philadelphia’s voters on this week’s election.

“Philly despatched a loud and clear message for authorized weed, and so has Pennsylvania,” Fetterman wrote in a textual content message. “It dovetails completely with the primary Republican sponsored invoice to legalize weed in PA historical past,” referring to a bipartisan proposal from Democratic Senator Sharif Avenue of Philadelphia and Republican Senator Dan Laughlin of Erie. 

“To borrow their phrase, ‘it’s inevitable,’” Fetterman added.

Possession Decriminalized in Philly in 2014

Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized the use and sale of medical marijuana in 2016, however leisure hashish stays unlawful within the state. Below a pot decriminalization measure handed in Philadelphia in 2014, these possessing lower than 30 grams of hashish are topic solely to fines moderately than dealing with felony fees. 

Philadelphia resident Damian Jorden, the CEO of Phynally, a nationwide employment search engine that options jobs that don’t require drug exams for marijuana, says that it’s nice to see his native metropolis taking steps to decriminalize hashish.

“Marijuana criminalization and the stigmas behind it have marginalized so many individuals for such a very long time,” Jordan wrote in an electronic mail. “It’s clear Philly and its leaders need change and I consider the folks do too. Hashish is the longer term and with the passing of time, I consider historical past will mirror that we’re headed in the correct course.”

Two Grownup-Use Payments Pending

Along with the adult-use hashish invoice cosponsored by Avenue and Laughlin, one other measure from Democratic state Representatives Jake Wheatley and Dan Frankel, Home Invoice 2050, would additionally take away the prohibitions on leisure marijuana in Pennsylvania. Each proposals, nevertheless, have to this point did not advance within the state legislature. Brian Vicente, founding associate of nationwide hashish legislation agency Vicente Sederberg LLP, believes that the approval of Query 1 places extra strain on state lawmakers to make progress on marijuana coverage reform.

“The vote in Philadelphia displays the rising sentiment throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation that it’s time to finish the failed coverage of hashish prohibition and set up a regulated marketplace for grownup shoppers,” Vicente stated. “It ought to lend to the momentum that has been constructing within the Legislature, the place assist is rising amongst Republicans in addition to Democrats.”

The approval of Query 1, whereas overwhelming, got here on gentle voter turnout on this week’s off-year election. Patrick Christmas, coverage director for the nonprofit metropolis authorities watchdog group Committee of Seventy, advised Axios Philadelphia that Tuesday was “one of the crucial quiet elections we’ve had in a very long time.”

“The principle driver of turnout wherever goes to be a aggressive election,” Christmas added, “and we didn’t have that within the metropolis of Philadelphia in the present day.”