Pennsylvania could see countless benefits from the legalization and regulation of marijuana, including the generation of much-needed tax revenue, the availability of a legal treatment alternative to patients suffering from terminal illness and the satisfaction that comes with finally ending a prohibition on a natural substance that causes no more harm than alcohol and cannot become the source of an addiction.

In addition to raising millions of dollars per year from tax revenue, Pennsylvania would save millions of dollars per year by legalizing marijuana. The most conservative estimates say the revenue generated by taxing the sales of marijuana would amount to at least $24 million per year. Legalizing and taxing marijuana could provide a multi-million dollar recurring revenue source that our state could tap into for years to come.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 24,685 marijuana arrests were made in Pennsylvania in 2006 at a cost of $325.36 million to taxpayers. Legalizing and regulating marijuana would not only make our streets safer but save our state millions of dollars per year.

Under the terms of Senate Bill 528, marijuana would be a regulated product, treated similarly to alcohol. This bill would not change current laws against driving under the influence of marijuana, selling marijuana to minors and disorderly conduct while publicly intoxicated.