Latest news with #PennsylvaniaLiquorControlBoard
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania lawmaker proposes new cannabis bill with changes to regulations
(WHTM)– A Pennsylvania lawmaker says he will soon introduce new legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania with different regulations than previously proposed bills. The Keystone Cannabis Act, circulated by State Senator Marty Flynn (D-22), would establish a new framework for producing, distributing, and selling cannabis to adults age 21 and over in Pennsylvania. House Bill 1200, which would have given the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board control over cannabis regulation in Pennsylvania, was shot down by the state Senate Law and Justice Committee earlier this May in a 7-3 vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now According to the memo, the Keystone Cannabis Act would have an independent commission regulate the market. The commission would consist of members of the Department of Health, Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, Attorney General, and State Police. The memo says this commission would oversee the cannabis cultivation, processing, testing, and retail operations in Pennsylvania. Additionally, revenue generated from the cannabis industry would be deposited into a Community Reinvestment Fund, which would direct funds to revitalizing rural communities, local infrastructure improvements, and grants to municipalities. Flynn's bill would also allows for license applicants from communities heavily impacted by cannabis prohibition to receive priority. The bill would also require strict testing for cannabis products by independent, certified laboratories to ensure products are safe for consumption. 'In short, legalization is no longer a question of if, but when—and Pennsylvania should not be left behind as our neighbors to the north, south, east, and west in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Ohio all move forward. It is high time to create a cannabis economy that reinvests tax dollars into our communities thereby creating even more revenue, promotes freedom while ensuring safety and security, stimulates economic growth, and invests in the communities that need it most,' Flynn's memo says. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Recreational marijuana legalization proposal advances out of Pa. House committee
A glass marijuana pipe rests on the wall outside the Pennsylvania Capitol during a rally in support of legalizing cannabis on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Capital-Star photo by Peter Hall) A proposal that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana advanced out of the Pennsylvania House Health Committee along party lines on Monday. House Bill 1200, sponsored by Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia), would include a number of reforms to marijuana policy, including allowing the purchase of marijuana for recreational use by those 21 years and older, mainly through publicly owned stores overseen by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Krajewski said the proposal creates a 'balanced, responsible, and robust framework to legalize and regulate' cannabis use by adults. He crafted the legislation along with Pennsylvania House Health Committee Chairman Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny). 'Right now, Pennsylvanians who use cannabis are either crossing state lines to purchase from other legal markets or buying from the illicit market,' Krajewski said Monday. 'The reality is, criminalization of cannabis does not work. It does not deter usage, it does not promote safety, and it is not in the best interest of our commonwealth.' A co-sponsorship memo for the proposal notes that five of the six states that border Pennsylvania have legalized marijuana. Krajewski said that although the Keystone State is 'late to the game in terms of legalizing cannabis, this timing allows us to learn from the mistakes of other frameworks.' Legalization, he added, will impose regulations on potency, content and labeling. 'We can promote public health, while bringing hundreds of millions of public dollars that can be directed to the communities hit hardest by past criminalization,' he said. The co-sponsorship memo of the bill notes that the proposal would reinvest 'funds into communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.' Shapiro's budget proposal estimates that a 20% tax on the wholesale price of recreational marijuana products would generate $15.6 million plus an additional $11.4 million in sales tax revenue for the 2025-26 budget. Republicans opposed the measure, citing a wide range of issues, starting with the legislative process. Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) complained that House Democrats formally introduced the 173-page bill on Sunday and then scheduled the vote for Monday. 'It's appalling, it's offensive, and frankly, it was done because it's widely known that there is broad opposition to this bill in the manner in which the language is being presented,' she said. 'This scheme is a slap in the face of every member of this committee, to the public and to the very concept of representative government.' Frankel disagreed, contending that the committee held six hearings on the matter last session. Republicans made an attempt to table the vote, but that failed along partisan lines. Other concerns expressed by Republicans who voted against the proposal included the impact legalization of recreational marijuana could have on the state's workforce and public safety, including that cannabis is still considered a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government. 'There's nothing healthy or safe about legalizing the recreational use of marijuana,' said Pennsylvania House Health Committee Minority Chair Kathy Rapp (R-Warren). The bill advanced out of the committee by a 14-12 vote and advanced to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration. Many Democrats have expressed support for passing marijuana legalization, although they hold a narrow majority in the House and are the minority party in the state Senate.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PLCB returns over $2M in licensing fees to Pennsylvania communities
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) returned more than $2,000,000 in licensing fees to over 1,000 municipalities. Twice every year, the PLCB returns liquor licensing fees paid by PLCB-approved licensees to the municipalities that are home to those licenses. The 1,125 municipalities will be able to allocate and spend the money to meet local needs. The PLCB oversees the regulation of about 15,000 retail liquor licenses statewide, including restaurants, clubs and hotels. Licensees pay liquor license fees ranging from $25 to $700. The current dispersal period represents fees paid from Aug. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025. In all, 43 cities, 426 boroughs, and 656 townships will receive payments ranging from $25 to $860,450. The complete list of license fee distributions by municipality is available on the PLCB website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
