Jones: Is Gov. Wolf following Jim Kenney’s lead on marijuana decriminalization?

Over on The Philadelphia Experiment, Solomon Jones considers whether Gov. Tom Wolf saying he believes marijuana should be decriminalized on a state level has anything to do with issue-champion Jim Kenney’s convincing win in last month’s Democratic mayoral primary.

Namely, Jones noticed that “marijuana decriminalization is not the political football that it was previously thought to be.”

Per Wolf’s office, the governor’s position isn’t directly related to Kenney’s successful efforts to have police officers “issue what amounts to a ticket for low-amount marijuana possession” rather than tie up courtrooms with legal cases.

Gov. Wolf’s spokesman, Jeff Sheridan, responding to an earlier version of this column, said that the governor’s position on decriminalization is not influenced by Kenney’s victory, but is based on thoughtful contemplation.

“While we certainly respect Jim Kenney’s view on this,” Sheridan wrote in an email, “Governor Wolf’s position is not a result of the Philadelphia mayoral primary. It is the result of his experience in business and it is a careful and thoughtful policy stance. It is not only the right thing to do, but a smart thing to do economically.”

Read more of Jones’ take via this link.