Seeing as it’s 4/20—the official pot smokers’ holiday that, according to legend, began in the 1970s when a group of California teenagers would meet up after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke—it’s a good time to take stock of where things stand regarding the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania.

While medical marijuana was legalized here in 2016, adult-use cannabis remains a pipe dream, despite the fact that 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. 

Gov. Josh Shapiro 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. 

In addition to growing bipartisan support in Harrisburg, 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. 

So, what now? We’ve got a look at what needs to happen before Pennsylvania finally legalizes cannabis in this story.

Some recent unexpected expenses in our household—like mold remediation, car repairs, and higher-than-anticipated state and federal income tax bills—prompted my wife and me to perform a financial audit a couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to find ways we could save some money (which we did).

Even if you’ve been spared such surprise expenses, there’s a good chance high gas prices and rising energy bills are taxing your family’s budget, possibly prompting your own household financial audit.

With that in mind, we’d like to know: What is your family doing to save money right now?

Reply with your answer, and please let us know where you live.

An aerial view of the NFL Draft Stage on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, Tuesday, April 14. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect).

Pittsburgh is having a sports moment. 

The Penguins are back in the playoffs. The Pirates are just a game out of first place in the NL Central. And the 2026 NFL Draft is coming to town this week.

The Steel City has been intensely preparing for the draft, which is expected to draw between 500,000 and 700,000 fans to town between Thursday and Saturday.

If you’re planning a trip to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft, our Kalena Thomhave—a PGH resident—has got you covered with everything you need to know about the event and how best to enjoy the city, from where to go, to how to get around, to what to eat, to where to find non-football fun.

• Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is set to run against US House Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzerne) in November’s election, appeared at a town hall Saturday where she said fighting corruption and stopping congressional stock trading would be two of her top campaign platforms. Find out more in this story.

• Despite some Republicans continuing to echo President Trump’s baseless claims that non-citizens routinely vote in US elections, an audit of more than 200,000 transactions in Pennsylvania’s motor-voter registration process found only one instance when officials allowed a non-US citizen to apply. Get the details here. 

• Supervisors in one Bucks County town unanimously approved a zoning ordinance to regulate data center development within the township. Find out more here.

• A York County township has also passed a zoning ordinance that restricts where any data center can be built and how it must be built. Details in this story.

• Following a police chief-led report released last week that largely maintained that Quakertown police responded appropriately during a clash with student protestors, a private investigator hired by attorneys for five teens charged contended that his preliminary investigation findings suggest that Chief Scott McElree’s actions escalated the situation, prompting the violence that resulted in injuries and arrests. Find out more here.

Pennsylvania Bureau of Environmental Management staff and volunteers plant native shrubs and flowers during a 2016 Earth Day project at Fort Indiantown Gap in Annville. (Creative Commons)

A reminder that Wednesday is Earth Day, an ideal time to get out and enjoy the natural beauty Pennsylvania has to offer, whether you visit one of our dozens of state parks, go for a hike, bike ride, or run on the more than 14,000 miles of trails that wind through the state, or simply take your dog on a walk in a local park.  

It’s also a day to consider how we can each do our part to ensure the health and sustainability of our planet. 

In this story, we’re highlighting Earth Day volunteer opportunities across Pennsylvania that you can join, along with ways to advocate for the environment year-round.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave,  Sean Kitchen, The Associated Press, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Whitney Downard of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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