Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman was in Armstrong County last night as part of his 67-county listening tour sanctioned by Governor Tom Wolf.
Slightly over 100 residents attended the 90-minute event at the Belmont Complex. Half of those in attendance took the opportunity to discuss the legalization of marijuana - both recreationally and medicinally.
Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman listened intently to approximately 50 people speaking their views on legalizing recreational marijuana.
Fetterman called the crowd in Armstrong County as the most civil and respectful that he has encountered so far in his visits.
“It was well attended. It was civil. It was thoughtful. It was very similar (to other counties). What made it different were the individual stories and that’s what made it so unique and special. You had a whole range of people from someone wearing a cannabus leaf shirt to veterans to a conservative republican running for county commissioner. That’s what makes this tour so much fun and interesting because you get to hear from all Pennsylvanians.”
Many remarks made last night were about medical marijuana. When asked if people knew the difference between recreational and medical, Fetterman said he felt the people were knowledgeable of the differences.
“One of the most striking things that I have learned on this tour is I have only encountered two individuals in 27 counties that are opposed to medical marijuana. Folks had said they are against recreational, but will then say they are for medical. Pennsylvania didn’t used to be that way. It has changed a lot of people’s perceptions on what cannabis is.”
While Pennsylvania may join other states that have legalized recreational marijuana, the Federal government still considers it a crime. Banks under the federal law cannot do business with medical or recreational outlets. Medical marijuana cannot be funded through federal Medicare programs. Fetterman said this is a fight between state and federal jurisdiction.
“State’s rights continually evolve and you have developments across the county with state’s rights doing their own thing,” he said. “Multiple states have legalized recreational marijuana and states encircling Pennsylvania are in serious talks about it. Views change. The culture changes. Governor Wolf felt this was a conversation that the people of Pennsylvania need to have and I am his messenger to bring to every county in Pennsylvania the ability for people to share their views. ”
Watterson
Michael Watterson, executive director of ARC Manor in Kittanning, has been treating drug-related issues for a number of years. He said he is concerned that if recreational marijuana is legalized without additional funding for treatment, it could be a problem.
“As we are moving towards legalizing marijuana, we need to make sure that the State appropriates enough funds for prevention and treatment,” Watterson said. “It is going to cause problems. It’s a very real issue, especially with adolescents. The more this is pushed, the less harmful they believe that it is. We know that it is not true. It can be harmful. Colorado has experienced a significant increase in their emergency room visits specifically by adolescents. In 2005, there were 161 visits to the E.R. related to marijuana use. In 2015, there were 777. The state needs to realize that this is going to be a problem, not for everyone, but for a percentage, and they need to give back through funding to help those individuals.”
Mains
Ford City resident Don Mains spoke in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.
“I happen to be a user of medical marijuana right now,” Mains confirmed. He likened recreational marijuana to alcohol consumption as a social norm.
Jensen
Jorn Jensen, a conservative Republican candidate for Armstrong County commissioner, endorsed the legalization of it.
“I’ll make it simple. Legalize it. Tax it. Bring in the money. It’s my choice if I buy it and use it or not.”
Those making comment were not required to give their names. Therefore, the following sampling only indicates a brief excerpt of their comments.
“Lifelong resident of Armstrong County. I see this as an opportunity for a real economic impact from tax revenue from legalizing recreational marijuana. While we can’t speak to the exact amount of revenue for PA, we can look at Colorado and see the $1.5 billion that marijuana tax revenue brought them, which is 90% more economic output that other industries in that state.To me it is not about tax revenue or getting to smoke weed. It is about personal liberty. It is not right for the government to tell me what plants I can or can’t have in my house.”
“I am extremely opposed to it. I cannot see anything good that comes from smoking marijuana. The people that I deal with in my work and familiy life, I have seen nothing but bad things happen. I have seen people that can’t pay their bills or rent because they would rather smoke marijuana. States that have legalized it have had more problems with drugged driving and we have enough of drunk and drugged driving now.”
“I am definitely for it. I grew up here. I moved away and lived in Oregon for a year. Living there, I saw many opportunities that the recreational field has to offer. There are countless jobs. If it were legal here, I believe a lot of these communities would flourish and bring the economy back to our small towns.”
“I grew up without grandparents because they were killed by a drunk driver. We had an issue with drunk driving 40 years ago. We still have the issue today. I work for a government contractor. I cannot have my job if I smoked marijuana even though the state legalizes it. My clearance would be pulled. I was born and raised in Armstrong County. Individuals that could have jobs in the future could be eliminated if they smoke marijuana.”
“If we can’t keep alcohol out of the reach of our children, how are we going to control marijuana use?”
“I am a college student. I have lots of friends in a nursing program who finished the first semester with fantastic grades. However, they occasionally do recreational marijuana. They like to take the stress off sometimes, but they have got caught twice and they are one strike away from getting kicked out of college over a drug that isn’t that harmful. I think that it is wrong that someone could lose their education when they are a good student.”
“There are no right views. There are no wrong views. There is no guided discovery here. This is strictly a listening tour,” Fetterman said.