Don’t budget on bongs
Legalizing pot for tax gains is not sound
During four-plus years in office, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has been a vigilant watchdog for the taxpayers and has made many wise recommendations for saving money and maximizing revenue. But his proposal to legalize the recreational use of marijuana so it can be taxed is so misguided that one must ask, what’s he smoking?
Noting that other states have reaped a windfall from marijuana, Mr. DePasquale estimated that Pennsylvania could generate $200 million annually by legalizing and taxing the drug, plus benefit from the job creation associated with a new industry. That may be tempting in light of the state’s budget shortfall of nearly $3 billion, but the need for money shouldn’t drive health policy. House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin had it exactly right when he questioned the idea of opening the door to marijuana while the nation continues to fight epidemic use of other drugs.
Mr. DePasquale’s fellow Democrats weren’t rushing to embrace the proposal, either. Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa of Forest Hills noted that it’s premature to plan for recreational use of marijuana when the state hasn’t yet launched its program permitting the drug for medical reasons.
Make no mistake. Marijuana is a real drug, the use of which has real consequences. Consider the potential impact on highway safety. For years, government and advocacy groups have mounted campaigns to encourage seat belt use and discourage drunken driving. Progress has been made on both fronts. To what extent would the gains be undone by a proliferation of marijuana-dazed drivers?
Last spring, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that the percentage of “fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana” more than doubled in Washington state following legalization of the drug there. The report also complained about the lack of a reliable field test for detecting marijuana-impaired drivers.
“The significant increase in fatal crashes involving marijuana is alarming,” Peter Kissinger, foundation president and CEO, said at the time. “Washington serves as an eye-opening case study for what other states may experience with road safety after legalizing the drug.”
Alluding to legalization of marijuana in other states, Mr. DePasquale said Pennsylvania should jump aboard a train that “has indeed left the station.” Besides revenue generation and job creation, he said, his proposal would relieve some of the burden on the justice system and spare recreational users the problems associated with a criminal record.
But these arguments fall flat. Beyond health and safety issues is the vexing issue of government’s insatiable appetite for money. Talk about dependency. If marijuana is legalized and taxed, can prostitution be far behind? At what point does the state draw the line? The example of other states on marijuana legalization should mean nothing to Pennsylvania, large segments of which remain socially conservative; there is no need to follow other states’ lead.
Gov. Tom Wolf and the Legislature are considering plans to balance the budget with government consolidation, a $25-per-resident fee on municipalities that rely on state police protection and various other proposals, some better than others. Marijuana use has no place in these sober deliberations.