The cannabis industry continues to grow across the United States, with 26 states and territories having legalized personal-use cannabis and an additional nine states having decriminalized its use. Pennsylvania, in particular, is now flanked by states like New Jersey, New York and Connecticut that recently opened their retail cannabis markets, and will welcome Delaware and Maryland to the party in the months ahead. This means arguably lost tax revenue for the Keystone State and the potential for increasing social pressure to follow suit.

Should Pennsylvania lawmakers begin to contemplate what a regulated adult-use cannabis market might look like in the state, it is important to consider the criminal justice reforms that must accompany any successful legalization effort. In this article, we will identify several criminal justice policy issues resulting from New Jersey’s legalization of cannabis and explore ways neighboring states, like Pennsylvania, can address those issues in the context of a broader cannabis legalization policy discussion.