It may be a longshot, but a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana in Pennsylvania received the support of the NAACP Tuesday.

The bill, re-introduced in February by state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, would allow for the use, regulation and taxing of marijuana in the state. As long as the GOP controls both houses of the Legislature, few expect the bill to pass. And it's unlikely Republican Gov. Tom Corbett would sign it.



David Scott, left, a representative of the NAACP, announces the group's support of a marijuana legalization bill introduced by state Sen. Daylin Leach, right.

Nonetheless, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People threw its support behind the measure, saying the war on drugs in America unfairly targets minorities and that there is a “staggeringly disproportionate” arrest rate compared with white drug users.

“The war on drugs is a catastrophic failure,” said David Scott, chair of the Legal Redress Committee for the Cheltenham Area Branch of the NAACP and a former deputy chief of police.

Scott cited a report recently conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union which fleshed out the war on drugs' "racial bias" as well as how financial resources are used.

Leach said he was thrilled to have the support of the NAACP as he moves forward with his endeavor, and said the legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania is “inevitable.”

“This is decimating the minority community. This is a problem that is particularly acute,” Leach said, several times referencing Pennsylvania’s current illegalization of marijuana as “prohibition.”

Publicly, the bill has two co-sponsors – Sen. Larry Farnese, D-Philadelphia, and Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Allegheny – and Leach said several others have approached him about “wishing” they could vote in favor of the bill, at least to get it out of committee.

“My belief is if this bill was put up to a secret ballot, it would pass,” he said. “The Senate doesn’t look for controversy. Few people have said it’s a bad idea. They said it’s politically difficult.”

Nationally, Colorado and Washington have passed bills legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, and several others have decriminalized its use and allow it for medical purposes. Leach’s bill awaits consideration by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.