Pennsylvania Senate Panel Votes Against Cannabis Legalization Bill
A Pennsylvania state Senate legislative committee this week voted down a recreational cannabis legalization bill that was passed by the state House of Representatives last week. The measure, HB 1200, was rejected by the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Tuesday by a vote of 7-3, according to a report from online cannabis news outlet Marijuana Moment.
The cannabis legalization bill was swiftly approved by the Democrat-majority Pennsylvania House of Representatives last week after being introduced only days earlier. If passed into law, the bill would have legalized cannabis for adults aged 21 and older and set up a system for regulated sales of recreational marijuana.
Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin, a supporter of a separate bipartisan cannabis legalization bill, said during a Law and Justice Committee meeting to consider HB 1200 that legalizing marijuana should be a more collaborative process.
'I really expected a little bit of back-and-forth discussions and work on these bills if we are going to truly put a product on the governor's desk, we are not going to get there—with this model, at least,' Laughlin said.
Democrats control both the governor's mansion and the state House of Representatives, while Republicans have a majority in the state Senate. And although Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has publicly signaled support for legalizing marijuana, Laughlin said the governor has failed to forge the consensus needed for a cannabis legalization bill to succeed.
'I believe that, if there's a path to getting adult-use cannabis passed, the governor himself is going to have to roll his sleeves up and help do some of the work,' he said. 'I have not seen that yet, but hopefully we can get there—and I know it's going to be a vigorously discussed process, so I look forward to working…to try and get a passable version through the Senate, through the House and off to the governor.'
The bill passed by the House of Representatives last week would have legalized recreational marijuana sales by establishing a network of cannabis dispensaries operated by the state Liquor Control Board, while private companies would be responsible for cultivating cannabis and manufacturing marijuana products. Commenting on the plan for state-run dispensaries, Laughlin said that 'the state being involved in selling potentially cannabis and alcohol is just a wrong message to send to our citizens.'
'We also have objections from the beer, wine and distilled spirit stakeholders,' he added. 'And while the alcohol industry is generally supportive of the legalization of cannabis, the idea of sharing already-limited shelf space for the federally illegal product is sure to be met with logistical and business-related objections.'
Prior to the committee vote on Tuesday, Pennsylvania Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday, who has expressed opposition to legalizing cannabis in the past, signaled support for a marijuana policy reform bill, Marijuana Moment reported. He added, however, that he is not in favor of HB 1200.
'At this point with what we know—and with all the information out there that we haven't even looked at yet—I'm not supportive of this current legislation,' Sunday told WTAJ.
'But it doesn't mean I won't be at some time in the future,' he said, adding, 'I will continue to be a voice for public safety on this issue.'
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