Mark Pinsley, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Senate District 16, would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over, regulate it for safety, and tax it, putting that money back into our local communities.
Recreational marijuana — also called cannabis or weed — is still illegal in Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro has asked lawmakers to legalize it since 2024, but the Republican-controlled state Senate hasn’t passed a bill. (Spotlight PA)
Pennsylvanians are already buying it — just not here
Every state around Pennsylvania except West Virginia has legalized recreational marijuana — New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Ohio. Adults in Pennsylvania who want to buy it legally can already drive across the border.
“Pennsylvanians are already buying recreational marijuana,” Pinsley says in his video. “They’re just not doing it here.”
The money
Under Gov. Shapiro’s 2026–27 budget plan, the state estimated legal marijuana would bring in $729.4 million in the first year, including one-time license fees, and about $200 million a year once the market is fully running. (Spotlight PA, February 2026 · Spotlight PA, July 2026)
That’s roughly $1.5 billion over five years — revenue Pennsylvania isn’t collecting today.
Pinsley would put it to work:
- Paying for schools, which would help lower property taxes.
- Filling gaps in Medicaid.
More on school funding and property taxes: What is Mark Pinsley’s plan to fully fund Pennsylvania public schools?
His plan
- Legal for adults 21 and over.
- Regulated for safety — tested, labeled products, with age checks.
- Taxed fairly.
- Licenses for small and local businesses first.
- Clear old records. People convicted for something that’s now legal shouldn’t carry a record that keeps them from jobs or housing.
As Pinsley puts it: “Let’s legalize it, regulate it, keep it away from our children, but let’s also bring the tax revenue back to Pennsylvania.”
Common questions
“Won’t kids get it more easily?” Licensed stores have to check ID and can lose their license for selling to minors. Illegal dealers don’t check ID.
“Isn’t it a gateway drug?” Research hasn’t shown that marijuana causes people to use harder drugs. A legal market keeps buyers away from dealers selling other drugs.
“Doesn’t it send the wrong message?” Legal for adults isn’t an endorsement. Adults are already buying it — the only question is whether it’s from a regulated store with age limits, testing and labels, or from the street.
“They broke the law — why clear their records?” Laws change as attitudes change. When something is no longer a crime, it makes sense to remove the barriers that keep otherwise law-abiding people from working and finding housing.
“What about safety at work?” Employers can still ban impairment on the job and enforce safety rules. Legalization doesn’t change that.
District 16 covers parts of Lehigh and Bucks counties. The general election is November 3, 2026.
