Just in the past decade alone we have seen our countries view on marijuana change dramatically. Only a few years into our past it was seen as a gate way drug that destroys families, neighborhoods, seen as a source of so many problems. Now it is going mainly stream with state of state legalizing it for medical and recreational use. With a record 61% of Americans want marijuana legalized across the country. It is changing many peoples lives and the over all quality of life for cities and state for the better with more tax revenue for states going towards better education, less people in jail or nonviolent drug offenses, and people getting much needed medical relief. The possibilities for this change in American culture is hard to fathom, what would our country be like if marijuana was legalized nationally? This is such a recent change and the walls and laws have been coming down so fast it is hard to stay what this new era will be like but the light seems pretty bright at the end of the tunnel.

Just a couple days ago our own Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the question before us to legalize recreationally, after legalizing medical us in 2016. Now we do now have referendums in our state so this will be voted and decided in our state legislature the Pennsylvania General Assembly. On March 20^thState Senators Daylin Leach and Sharif Street introduced Senate bill 350 they stated it would “end the destruction caused by cannabis prohibition.” Bill 350 would legalize the recreational us of marijuana for adults 21 and over, along with expunging the arrest records for some drug offenses and would earmark tax revenue for education. Furthermore, it would create a tiered system of licenses for growers and sellersand make it possible for colleges around our state to grow and study marijuana and teach students the professional science and business of the drug.

In a news release Senator Leach said “We’ve had a cruel, irrational and expensive policy on cannabis for more than 80 years.” In Pennsylvania alone around 25,000 people are arrested each year which highly disproportionately impacting minority communities is, in the Commonwealths marijuana prohibition. With the cost of arrest, prosecuting, and monitoring the people charged with marijuana related crimes is around $500 million a year. All those tax dollars have the opportunity to be freed up to work on so many more vital needs of our state to balancing our budget, improving our infrastructure, and investing in our schools. In an interview this week Senator Street said “It is time for us to join the emerging cannabis economy with the legalization of Adult Use Cannabis in Pennsylvania. … The economic imperatives are too great,” now this is oh so true. In a report in August issued by Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale estimated that legalizing marijuana could generate over $581 million a year in taxes for the state. The report went on to say it would be a costly mistake if marijuana was not decriminalized. Once again to restate the legalization of marijuana would save the state around $500 million every year and would gain over $581 million in new taxes every year for a total of over 1 billion. The possibilities of our State having over 1 billion to reallocate to so many of our other needs seems to quote PA’s Auditor General not decriminalizing would be a very costly mistake.

This bill has been gaining a lot of traction in Harrisburg and around the Commonwealth as a whole. With now 10 other state and the District of Columbia having passed legalization laws, and our next store neighbor New Jersey say to vote next week on their legalization measure could PA soon be next? As of today, a draft of the bill has not yet been posted on the state’s legislative website. Bill 350 still has a few votes and committees to get through before its even close to a final draft and land on the desk of Governor Tom Wolf. In this time state leader are trying to find out as much information as possible to try to make our position of this bill with come Republicans and Democrats alike wanting to know the possible impacts of this legislation. This is also a time when both sides of the isle are looking to see how their constituents feel on this issue and that is exactly what newly elected PA Lt. Governor John Fetterman is doing. He is underway on a on a 67-county, statewide marijuana listening tour. Each stop he has an open public discussion with the people so they can openly express their opinions on the issues and he can sit back and listen to the people. After people have a chance to speak they ask the audience to raise hands of approval or disapproval of legalization. In his most recent stop in York the large audience was very overwhelmingly in support of legalizing.

It will be every exciting to see if this bill is able to be finalized and voted on, the potential of this bill is huge. From helping expunging the arrest records for some drug offenses, generate tax revenue for education, and free up millions more or tax payer dollars. High expectations for this bill and our states future are on the minds of our law makers and Pennsylvanians alike. Looking ahead to the New Jersey vote next week and where PA goes from here.

Donald J. Trump is a force of nature never seen before in American politics, a man who was nationally known for his business empire and his very popular TV show The Apprentice, with no political or military experienced was elected to the highest office in the land. With his election it has opened a new era in American history and our politics, to say the least a very loud and divisive time in our country but we as a country will see what will happened in the next 2 or 6 years to come. To understand the President and his views we must look at the man.

Donald John Trump was born and raised in the New York City borough of Queens on June 14, 1946. To his parents Fred and Mary Anne Trump 1 of 5 children he was a rather rowdy child and his father wanted his son to rain more respect and discipline so he was sent to the New York State Military Academy. There he learned a lot about leadership and has said in interviews that he enjoyed his time there and learned a lot, he was the captain of the cadets and the baseball team as well. After high school Trump would go on received an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Graduating in 1968 he would then join his family business started by his father, a real-estate and developing business which was mainly focused on building afforded housing in Queens. Donald eventually look over leadership of the company being appointed president of his family’s real estate business in 1971, renamed it The Trump Organization. His father was still around but Donald thought the company could greatly expand and reach new heights. He had big Dreams and looked across the river at Manhattan the big leagues of real-estate and he wanted in. So, he set off on his first big solo project renovating the old run-down Commodore Hotel and creating the new Grand Hyatt Hotel finishing the project on time and under budget. The company officially expanded it from Queens and Brooklyn and into Manhattan. From there the company had many more successes built or renovated skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses on over the country. The Trump Organization has had a very interesting history it had high and lows but even managed to pull itself up after filing for bankruptcy on several times and to this day and a flourishing company. There have also been many side ventures, a lot including licensing with the Trump on consumer products. He also has acquired the Miss Universe and Miss USA beauty pageants from 1996 to 2015. He had his name everywhere and Forbes estimates his net worth to be $3.1 billion. Donald continued to managed the company until his 2017 inauguration, with leadership now handed over to his children. He co-authored several books, including The Art of the Deal which quite honestly, I have read and recommend to people it very much helps you understand the man and see the way he thinks.

In the eyes of many Donald Trump embodies the American dream with this successful business and family. That is why many people for decades have thought he should run for president which had thought about since 1988 and he didn’t try until 2016. Right off the bat the day Trump announced he was running for President it was a fire storm the media could not stop talking about him and either for the American people. Like or dislike him he breathes attention and gets people talking, with comments and sound bights to change headlines in minutes. Many in the political elite and establishment took Trump as a joke and many on both left and right on the isle said he had no chance from the beginning. As the first polls start to come in people were shocked with Trump the front runner, with 16 other candidate many established and lift long politicians. His rhetoric to many seemed mean and like a bully but that how a lot of voters felt they were angry with the establishment and how things were going to they left like Trump represented them and their voice. Winning the Republican Nomination and the stage was set for the real battle for the Presidency against the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The election as we all know was one of the nastiest and divisive elections in recent history with both sides getting low in attacks on the other. Against all odds and the opinions of almost all the political establishment Trump would go on to win the Presidency. With taking office and now being 2 years in tensions are still high on both sides, with the country seeming more polarized then ever. What so much of it comes down to is the man Donald Trump himself, the Democrats support a fair bit of his platform and since he is the President they don’t agree with pretty much anything he supports. Both parties have the opportunity to put politics aside, come together, help bring the nation and together and push it forward with progress. I know this is a lot to a ask but I think the majority of the country feel the same that agreeing and bipartisanship is the what America need right now. Trump has said it himself so many times he is a businessman he negotiated he is willing to talk and give if the Democrats just come to the table. The opportunity to makes deals on improving infrastructure, paid family leave, immigration and so much more. We have seen a glimpse what can come from bipartisanship with criminal justice reform with the First Step. This legislation passed congress with flying colors and signed by the President is making our justice system fairer for nonviolent drug offenders and bringing in more rehabilitation programs to help people rejoin society. This is a great piece of legislation and is a great example of what is possible when people come together, hopefully the path the politicians will head toward in the coming years.