The editorial “Pa. should take it slow on legalizing marijuana” (Dec. 6, TribLIVE) told us that cannabis legalization ought to wait for more studies. Interestingly, most cannabis studies focus on uncovering detrimental effects of cannabis rather than potential benefits. Coinciding with state-based recreational cannabis legalization, the United States has seen a surge in such harm-focused cannabis studies, seeming to signify that the goal is to maintain the status quo.
The editorial touches on good points as to why cannabis legalization should be discussed in the Pennsylvania House and Senate. It mentioned that legalization could reduce petty drug prosecutions. Such a reduction could benefit overly prosecuted communities substantially, especially youths. Children of incarcerated parents are afflicted in multifaceted ways. Decriminalizing cannabis could help to mitigate those effects, but legalization could go a step further and provide additional support to those communities and address issues that lead children to engage in risky behaviors such as drug use. Some studies also have suggested that teenage use has declined in states with regulated cannabis.
Positive impacts like these are attainable. Now is the time to put legal cannabis on the forefront, and legalization gives Pennsylvania a chance to shape the industry for the better.
Kelly Ebbert
Hampton