When: Saturday June 14th, 2014 – 9:30 a.m. (registration), 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (forum)

Where: Fitts Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3501 Sansom St., Philadelphia

Who: Senator Anthony Williams, Advocates and opponents to marijuana legalization

With the Pennsylvania General Assembly moving forward on legislation to legalize medical cannabis, State Sen. Anthony H. Williams will hold a forum next month, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, to discuss the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana in the commonwealth. PhillyNORML is happy to announce its participation in replacing myths with facts and arguing for the end of marijuana prohibition.

With marijuana legalization polling at 48% in Pennsylvania, with only 42% – 49% opposed, the state is seeing the highest level of support for the issue in its history. State Senator Daylin Leach introduced a bill in April of 2013 to legalize marijuana, yet it has not been brought up for official discussion in the Law and Justice Committee. Currently, the state is preparing to move forward on our medical marijuana bill, SB1182, sponsored by Senator Leach and Senator Folmer.

The forum will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, in the Fitts Auditorium on Penn Law’s campus. It is primarily a way to begin the discussion in Senatorial district 8, whose constituents Senator Williams serves. Seating is limited, and residents of the 8th district will be given priority.

“My forum promises to be an interesting, informative and inspirational inaugural step into a controversial subject,” Sen. Williams said. “I know there is more than one side to this story, which is why this conversation will be all-encompassing and include voices of opposition, messages of support, and questions of possibility.”

Panel participants, as of this posting:

– Dr. Jahan Marcu, PhD.

Cannabinoid Researcher, Americans for Safe Access Multidisciplinary Scientific Advisory Board, and the 2012 “Cannabis Researcher of the Year”

– George Forsythe

Former Maryland State Trooper, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)

– Derek Rosenzweig

Marijuana Legalization and Medical Marijuana Advocate, PhillyNORML

– Councilman Jim Kenney

City Councilman At-Large, Philadelphia County

– J. Darrel Robinson

Bishop, Yesha Ministry

We’ll update this posting if the panel participant list changes.