Philadelphia Overwhelmingly Votes To Decriminalize Cannabis

Philadelphia voters approved a referendum on marijuana legalization. Preliminary results from Tuesday's elections showed the proposal leading by a 73 percent to 27 percent margin, according to local media.

Councilmember Derek Green (D) sponsored the measure that adds a section to the city charter stating that “the citizens of Philadelphia call upon the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Governor to pass legislation that will decriminalize, regulate, and tax the use, and sale to adults aged 21 years or older, of cannabis for non-medical purposes,” reported Marijuana Moment.

In October, a bipartisan Senate bill to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania was introduced by Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D), while Rep. Amen Brown (D) announced his intent to file a reform bill that he’ll be working on with Sen. Mike Regan (R).

Pennsylvania's medical cannabis market has been one of the better success stories in the industry to date. By June 2021, the state had topped $900 million over a one-year period during the pandemic. 

Recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania could bring 32,000 full-time jobs, $3.3 billion in annual sales, and $520 million in yearly tax revenue to the Keystone State, according to the cannabis platform Leafly.