Likely Republican candidate for governor Stacy Garrity she said in an interview that if a legislative proposal to end the recreational marijuana ban ever came to her desk, she would veto it.
“I do not support legalizing recreational marijuana,” the state treasurer told NBC10 Philadelphia.
“Recreational marijuana will not go into the budget,” she said. When asked by NBC10 if she would veto such a bill, Garrity replied “yes.”
She admitted that she did not take any political positions during her campaign for re-election as state treasurer, noting that it was not her decision because she was “not a legislator.”
But Garrity also slammed the door on Senate Republicans using the issue as a negotiating tool during FY27 budget talks.
“They will never get through this,” she said. “Not as long as Republican senators control the Senate.”
This is contrary to the Shapiro administration’s budget proposal.
“Governor Shapiro has made it clear that we need to catch up – virtually every one of our neighbors has legalized marijuana and is benefiting from hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and revenue – and this important step by the federal government only adds support to the governor’s proposals,” Shapiro’s spokesperson Rosie Lapowska said The Center Square. “The Shapiro Administration stands ready to work with the General Assembly to seize this opportunity to legalize marijuana and make our commonwealth more competitive and fair.”
Shapiro announced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana in 2019, during his first term as state attorney general.
Since being elected governor in 2022, he has urged lawmakers to approve an adult drug employ program — even including alleged tax revenues in all of their budget plans. The administration believes that if legalization goes into effect on July 1, it would generate profits of $729 million.
This was announced by the state’s Independent Revenue Office (IFO) in February. Legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028estimates representing a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Shapiro’s own office.
Two weeks ago, the Trump administration moved medical marijuana from one of the most restrictive drug classifications to a less regulated category, a historic change that provides tax relief to cannabis companies but does not allow for federal legalization.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche he ordered the immediate placement of both FDA-approved marijuana products and marijuana subject to state medical licensing under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
Legislative changes are modern Poll shows seven in 10 likely Pennsylvania voters support legalizing marijuana for adult employ – including majority support for the reform across party lines.
When asked whether they “support or oppose regulating and taxing legal marijuana for use by adults 21 and older in Pennsylvania,” 69 percent of respondents answered “yes.” Democrats had the greatest support at 72 percent, but also included 67 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of independents.
