A majority of Pennsylvania voters believe adult-use cannabis should be legal

While medical cannabis has been legal here since former Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed it into law in April 2016, recreational use remains a pipe dream despite strong public support across party lines, and bipartisan support in Harrisburg.

With every legislative session in Harrisburg since medical marijuana was legalized in the commonwealth in 2016, we hear a similar refrain from state lawmakers pushing for the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania:

“It’s going to happen one of these days.” 

It’s fair to ask, when, exactly, that day will come. It’s 2026, and it’s already legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. That includes every state that borders Pennsylvania except West Virginia, meaning Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio are raking in millions from Pennsylvania residents who routinely cross state lines to buy adult-use cannabis products. 

The state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028, an estimate that is substantially larger than projections from the office of Gov. Josh Shapiro, who again made legalizing adult-use cannabis a priority in his state budget proposal earlier this year. 

Last week, the Democratic-controlled House voted 107-94 to approve the governor’s spending bill, with five Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in support. 

While lawmakers in Harrisburg spend another legislative session going back and forth on the adult-use cannabis issue, they may want to listen more closely to their constituents, a majority of whom want to see it legalized in the commonwealth.

Seven out of ten Pennsylvania likely voters support legalizing adult-use cannabis, according to a new poll, with a majority calling for the reform across party lines.

Results from the poll, conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research on behalf of the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC), saw the strongest support from Democrats, at 72%, along with 67% of Republicans and 64% of independents.

Support for legalizing adult-use cannabis increased when respondents were asked about provisions for “strict consumer safety standards, product testing requirements and strong protections to prevent youth access.” Some 72% of voters said they would back a legalization measure including such provisions. 

Earlier this year, a Quinnipiac University survey of 836 Pennsylvanians found that 56% of voters support legalizing adult-use cannabis, with 37% against it.

That poll, however, found that 72% of Democrats were in favor of reform, while 63% of Republicans were opposed.