Northwest PA News

Rep. Kathy L. Rapp, the Republican chair of the House Health Committee, commended Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen's testimony at the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care meeting regarding cannabis legalization. Rapp highlighted the significance of Judge Allen's perspective, stating, "The picture she painted wasn’t pretty... In her 25-year career on the bench, she says she interacted with thousands of families that have been broken because of drug addiction."

Judge Allen emphasized in her written testimony that "there is no such thing as a harmless controlled substance" and expressed concerns about the impact of marijuana addiction, particularly on young individuals and families. She refuted the argument that legalizing marijuana would address racial disparities in arrests and incarceration, pointing out that such disparities are rooted in law enforcement's focus on certain types of drug trafficking. Allen questioned the notion that legalizing more harmful substances like crack cocaine or heroin would resolve these disparities.

Rapp echoed these concerns, noting, "We’ve seen the harm legalizing marijuana has done to the children of the states that have chosen to legalize." She emphasized that the detrimental effects of marijuana extend beyond physical health and expressed apprehension about the potential exacerbation of existing issues if marijuana were to be legalized in Pennsylvania.

The testimonies of both Rep. Kathy L. Rapp and Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen shed light on the complexities and potential consequences of marijuana legalization, particularly in relation to public health and social equity.