Arjun Bharma  ‘22

Recently, Pennsylvania state senators Daylin Leach and Sharif Street proposed Senate Bill 350 to legalize marijuana. EA students and teachers have a variety of opinions about this bill. Some cite the positive impacts of medical marijuana and the enormous fiscal benefits, while others worry about the effect of increasing the availability and its use as a gateway drug. 

The bill would both legalize marijuana for adults over 21 and annual criminal records of those found in possession of marijuana. Ellen Hay, US History teacher, says “In my opinion, marijuana isn’t as impacting or dangerous as, say, alcohol, and they are both going to be in similar situations if this bill passes. While I’m not opposed to the legalization, there are some possible issues. That being said, I lean more towards the decriminalization route.”

As of April 17th, Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has been to 41 of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, including ones close to EA like Delaware Chester County, and has had townhall meetings so that people can voice their opinion and voice concerns or solutions to some of the possible ramifications of the legalization of marijuana. He wants to “make sure all Pennsylvanians have a say” in this polemical debate. 

Colin Kick ‘22 believes that “Townhall meetings addressing the issue of the legalization of marijuana, for both recreational and medical purposes, could be very informative for the general populace and could help them make better, more educated decisions. It would make a positive influence and be beneficial to the community regarding this issue.”

Many pro-legalization supporters have cited medical marijuana’s positive effect through pain relief. Matthew Shapiro, an Honors Biology teacher at EA, explained the nuances of the chemicals within Marijuana,“both THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) oils are found in cannabis, but THC, not CBD, is psychoactive. THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain which are responsible for the psychoactive effects, also known as “getting high,” whereas CBD has a more effective placebo effect.”

Others motion to Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s revenue generation estimate, which states that the “revenue from taxing and regulating marijuana” would amount to “roughly $580 million” per year, which could be used to fund more important state projects, like education reforms and other infrastructure developments 

Then, there is the argument that some of these sentences are, quoting Senator Shareef Street, “inhumane.” Erica Feehery ‘21 agrees, “People have been given sentences for even a single ounce, and it’s inhumane to have such a long sentence for a relatively minor crime. If the bill passes, the commuting of the more severe sentences would also be a very welcome addition.” 

However, there are also those that are opposed to the legalization. Felix Zhu ‘22 mentions how “by releasing it to the public as a recreational drug, you run the risk of unregulated marijuana, which could result in addiction.” 

Others who attended one of the many townhalls voiced their concerns on the legalization’s effect on children. Neera Raychaudhuri ‘20 mentioned that “if marijuana is legalized, it will be easy for adults to get, and in turn, for children and other students to acquire as well. Compounded with other rampant substance abuse, it will definitely be harmful to students by giving them more options and chances to make poor choices.”

The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic for quite some time, and because of the recently offered Senate Bill 350, it may become a reality. As Erica Feehery ‘21 concludes, “It definitely depends. Both sides of the issue have valid points, and there are definitely risks with either resolution. In the end, it’s up to lawmakers to weigh in on the issue and present their cases as well.”