Pennsylvania Lawmakers Unveil Recreational Cannabis Legalization Plan
A bipartisan pair of Pennsylvania lawmakers this week unveiled a plan to legalize recreational marijuana, nine years after the Keystone State legalized cannabis for medical use. Democratic Rep. Emily Kinkead and Rep. Abby Major, a Republican, released highlights of the cannabis legalization plan on Monday in a memo seeking cosponsors for an upcoming bill.
'This bipartisan legislation reflects strong support for legalization across the Commonwealth and the input of stakeholders at every level,' the memo reads, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Wednesday. 'Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation as we work to move cannabis legalization forward in Pennsylvania.'
In the memo, the lawmakers acknowledged Pennsylvania's 'robust' medical cannabis program. They added, however, that 'all but one of our neighboring states have legalized recreational adult-use cannabis.'
Kinkead and Major wrote that one of those neighboring states, Ohio, legalized recreational marijuana for adults via a ballot initiative that voters approved in 2023. After regulated sales of adult-use cannabis began last year, they added, the state collected $15.5 million in taxes on recreational marijuana in the first three months of regulated sales.
'It is well past time for Pennsylvania to move in a similar direction, and our proposed legislation represents a bipartisan path to legalize adult-use cannabis, establishing strong tenets for an adult-use market,' they said. 'And perhaps most importantly, this bill is not just about legalization, it's about setting up a stable, well-regulated market that prioritizes public safety and public health, protects children from exposure, promotes social justice, and fosters economic opportunity.'
The bipartisan pair of legislators offered key features of an upcoming bill, the text of which has not yet been released. The plan includes establishing an independent commission to regulate both recreational and medical cannabis in Pennsylvania. Stated goals of the program include inclusive economic growth, justice reform, consumer protection and support for law enforcement and local governments, among others.
Passing a cannabis legalization bill in Pennsylvania, they wrote, 'would not only boost local economies and create upwards of 30,000 new jobs, but also create a new revenue stream for our state, allowing us to reinvest in essential services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.'
'Moreover, this bill ends the blanket criminalization of marijuana users, particularly in communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis-related arrests, while providing a robust pathway for those individuals and communities to participate in and benefit from the legal market,' the memo continues.
'Legalizing marijuana within this framework allows the industry to be regulated, ensuring that products are tested for safety, purity, and potency,' Major and Kinkead wrote. 'Legalization provides an opportunity to implement public health education, prevent misuse through responsible marketing and regulation, and ensure that marketing efforts are designed to avoid targeting children, with strict age verification measures in place.'
Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized medical cannabis in 2016 with the passage of Senate Bill 3, which was signed into law by then-Gov. Tom Wolf in April of that year. Regulated sales of medical marijuana began in February 2018.
Legalizing recreational marijuana, however, has so far not been supported by the Pennsylvania legislature. Earlier this month, however, Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton said that legalizing recreational cannabis could give the state a new stream of tax revenue.
'Most House Democrats support [marijuana legalization], though we will need Republican support for passing a bill this massive,' McClinton said at an event sponsored by the progressive nonprofit group Represent PA. 'It's going to be a heavy lift.'
Late last year, a pair of Democratic lawmakers released their plan to legalize recreational marijuana, saying the state is an 'outlier' in its continued prohibition of cannabis. Pennsylvania state Reps. Rick Krajewski and Dan Frankel, who led several hearings on cannabis reform during the past legislative session, said they plan to introduce legislation to decriminalize cannabis and create a regulated market that focuses on public health, raises revenue for the state and supports those harmed by the criminalization of marijuana.
Also in December, Democratic state Rep. Danilo Burgos announced plans to introduce a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana without legalizing recreational cannabis sales.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has indicated his support for legalizing and regulating cannabis for adults. Last month, he said that Pennsylvania is 'losing out' by keeping recreational marijuana illegal.
'I think it's an issue of freedom and liberty. I mean, if folks want to smoke, they should be able to do so in a safe and legal way,' Shapiro said. 'We should shut down the black market—and, by the way, every state around us is doing it. Pennsylvanians are driving to those other states and paying taxes in those other states.'
If Pennsylvania legalizes recreational marijuana, it will join the 24 states that have legalized cannabis for adults.
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