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The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill that would legalize marijuana with a novel model of state-run stores<\/a>.<\/p>\n This has been an especially fast-moving legislative process for the measure from Reps. Rick Krajewski (D) and Dan Frankel (D). It was introduced on Sunday, advanced through the House Health Committee Frankel chairs on Monday and has now been approved on second reading in the full chamber on Tuesday in a vote of 102-101.<\/p>\n All Democrats in the body voted in favor of the legislation, and all Republicans were opposed. A third reading vote, expected soon, would send the measure to the Senate.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s a competing bipartisan legalization measure that\u2019s expected to be unveiled soon, this one already has 27 House Democrats signed on as cosponsors\u2014more than one-fourth of the party\u2019s caucus in the chamber.<\/p>\n The expedited consideration of the bill has already elicited criticism from the GOP side of the aisle, with Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R), a member of the Health Committee, saying during Monday\u2019s Health Committee hearing that \u201cit\u2019s no secret that I stand in opposition to broadly legalized adult-use marijuana\u2014but frankly, I\u2019m appalled by the manner in which it\u2019s being rammed through the committee and the legislature.\u201d<\/p>\n Frankel responded to the critique, saying \u201cthis has been a transparent process\u201d that has \u201ctaken into consideration input from every potential stakeholder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy door has been open to all those stakeholders on an ongoing basis for the past two year\u2014the six hearings we had and an opportunity for the minority party to have to have a meeting to talk about this,\u201d the chair said.<\/p>\n GOP members have also raised various concerns about the policy change itself, such as potential impaired driving and workplace intoxication.<\/p>\n On the House floor, members considered a number of amendments to the bill.<\/p>\n One from the sponsor, Frankel, clarifies that the measure\u2019s definition of cannabis includes medical cannabis, which the sponsor described as creating \u201cconsistency in our DUI law.\u201d It was approved by the body.<\/p>\n Rep. John Lawrence (R) filed and subsequently withdrew on the floor a series of amendments, including one that would have allowed governing bodies of universities to permit cannabis consumption in designated areas.<\/p>\n The lawmaker further withdrew an amendment to specifically exclude synthetic cannabinoids from the adult-use marijuana market, while also prohibiting cannabis products in the form of \u201cgummy candy, mint, lollipop, candy bar or any other cannabis product as determined by the board.\u201d<\/p>\n One amendment Lawrence filed that he did not withdraw was described as creating a local control option for local municipalities to opt out of allowing cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. It narrowly defeated in a 101-102 vote.<\/p>\n Another amendment from Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R) that he said was focused on drug testing and ensuring that people who teach children are not high on the job was withdrawn.<\/p>\n Other amendments\u2014including one from Rep. Abby Major (R), who is sponsoring separate, yet-to-be-seen legalization legislation\u2014that would allow the sale of alcohol at medical marijuana dispensaries were also withdrawn.<\/p>\n An amendment from Rep. Doyle Heffley (R) was withdrawn that would have moved tax revenue designated for the state general fund to a property tax relief fund.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is past time for Pennsylvania to catch up with its neighbors and allow adults to relax with cannabis. We are grateful to the House of Representatives for passing a bill to stop ruining lives over a plant that is safer than alcohol,\u201d Karen O\u2019Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), told Marijuana Moment.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the bill, HB 1200, would accomplish:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The largest challenge for the\u00a0legislation<\/a> going forward will likely come down to its proposal to have the state control cannabis sales\u2014a regulatory model that exists in no other legal market in the U.S. While there\u2019s evidently strong support within the Democratic caucus given the cosponsorship list, it\u2019s expected to face steep resistance from Republicans, who control the Senate, and at least some Democrats.<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, a recent poll found that Pennsylvania voters say they\u00a0favor a model where cannabis is sold by licensed private businesses<\/a>, rather than through a system of state-run stores.<\/p>\n Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has repeatedly called for adult-use marijuana legalization<\/a>, including the reform in his last three budget requests. However, he hasn\u2019t endorsed the specific idea of having a state-controlled model.<\/p>\n The bill from Krajewski and Frankel cleared the Health Committee in a 14-12 party line vote on Monday.<\/p>\n Key Pennsylvania lawmakers have already made clear that\u00a0they\u2019re at odds on the path forward for legalization<\/a>\u2014while a top Republican senator recently dismissed the idea that the reform is achievable at all this session.<\/p>\n Frankel, for his part, said recently that \u201cthis will be the bill that we will see,\u201d referring to his state-run legalization plan, adding that he\u2019s worked \u201chand-in-hand\u201d with Democratic leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are zero votes for a state-store model in the Republican caucus,\u201d Major\u2014who is sponsoring another forthcoming legalization bill<\/a>\u00a0that envisions a traditional private sales model alongside Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)\u2014said.<\/p>\n Despite the disconnect with Frankel\u2019s comments, Major said she thinks \u201cwe are the closest we have ever been, truly\u201d to legalizing cannabis in the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one\u2019s bill right now is going to be the final version. The sooner we can get those conversations started, the better,\u201d Kinkead said, adding that she and Major \u201care going to have to move something in May or early June.\u201d<\/p>\n While Democrats control the House and governor\u2019s office, they will still need to reach a deal with the GOP-controlled Senate to effectuate change. And in addition to the conflicting perspectives among pro-legalization legislators, another potential barrier to reform is exactly that political dynamic.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R) said that while he sees a \u201cpath forward\u201d for enacting regulations for separate gaming-related reform, \u201cI\u2019m not seeing consensus between the four caucuses and the governor collectively that [marijuana legalization] should be a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless of which direction Pennsylvania lawmakers do\u2014or don\u2019t\u2014go on marijuana legalization session, a survey released last week shows\u00a0a majority of adults in the state support the reform<\/a>\u2014and opposition to the policy change has fallen by nearly 50 percent over the last decade.<\/p>\n Kinkead has made the case in another recent interview that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania will\u00a0help the state mitigate public health and safety concerns<\/a>\u00a0associated with the illicit market, including the fact that unregulated products can be laced with fentanyl.<\/p>\n The lawmaker\u00a0previously introduced a separate bipartisan marijuana legalization bill<\/a>, alongside 15 other cosponsors, last September. It did not advance, however.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a Republican Pennsylvania senator recently called for the\u00a0creation of a state \u201clegacy\u201d fund, using tax revenue from adult-use marijuana sales<\/a>\u00a0and gaming to make long-term investments in the Commonwealth\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n The senator argued that, beyond using any resulting tax revenue to fund day-to-day projects and public services, the state should earmark a portion of those tax dollars for a fund to \u201cprovide a sustainable source of prosperity that lasts for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) recently said that\u00a0Democrats are ready to pass a marijuana legalization bill this session<\/a>, but that the party \u201cwill need Republican support\u201d to get the job done\u2014adding that it will be a \u201cheavy lift.\u201d<\/p>\n Another Democratic lawmaker said legislature is \u201csubstantially closer\u201d to reaching a deal on marijuana legalization, and an initial\u00a0vote on a bipartisan cannabis reform bill could come as early as this month<\/a>.<\/p>\n Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, owing in large part to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy change\u2014and one recently said she felt her party should\u00a0seize the \u201copportunity to snatch\u201d the issue from Democrats<\/a>.<\/p>\n Separately in March, the Pennsylvania House approved a bill sponsored by Frankel that\u2019s meant to\u00a0strengthen safety standards and oversight of the state\u2019s medical marijuana program<\/a>\u00a0as lawmakers work to advance adult-use legalization.<\/p>\n While Pennsylvania\u2019s medical cannabis program was enacted nearly a decade ago, lawmakers say the measure, which now heads to the Senate, is necessary to improve testing compliance, product audits and lab inspections, among other aspects of the industry.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would allow farmers and other small agriculture operators to\u00a0sell marijuana they cultivate to existing growers and and processors<\/a>\u00a0if the state moves to legalize adult-use cannabis.<\/p>\n Separately, an independent Pennsylvania agency is\u00a0projecting more tax dollars to be generated from adult-use marijuana sales<\/a>\u00a0compared to what the governor\u2019s office has estimated, although it expects significantly less overall revenue from cannabis legalization due to differing views on licensing fees.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania officials have also launched a new survey that invites legal marijuana businesses across the country to provide information about their operations to help the state better understand the cannabis industry as lawmakers consider enacting adult-use legalization this session.<\/p>\n \u2014 Also, in a video interview released in March, the governor emphasized that\u00a0the state is \u201closing out\u201d to others that have already enacted adult-use legalization<\/a>, while maintaining a policy that\u2019s enriched the illicit market.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s 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,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should shut down the black market\u2014and, by the way, every state around us is doing it. Pennsylvanians are driving to those other states and paying taxes in those other states.\u201d<\/p>\n Pennsylvania\u2019s Republican attorney general recently said\u00a0he wants to be a \u201cvoice for potential public safety risks\u201d<\/a>\u00a0of enacting the governor\u2019s proposal\u2014though he said his office would be ready to enforce the new law if lawmakers did vote to pass it.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s agriculture secretary separately told lawmakers that he\u2019s fully confident that his department is in a\u00a0\u201creally good\u201d position to oversee an adult-use marijuana program<\/a>\u00a0if lawmakers act.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in February, top Pennsylvania police and health officials told lawmakers\u00a0they are prepared to implement marijuana legalization<\/a>\u00a0if the legislature moves forward with the reform\u2014and that they stand ready to work together as the details of legislation to achieve it are crafted.<\/p>\n Amid the growing calls for marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania,\u00a0a GOP state senator said prohibition has been a \u201cdisaster,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and a regulated sales model for cannabis\u2014similar to how alcohol and tobacco are handled\u2014could serve as an effective alternative.<\/p>\n A Republican Pennsylvania senator also recently\u00a0defended the push to legalize and regulate marijuana<\/a>, calling it \u201cthe most conservative stance\u201d on the issue.<\/p>\n With Florida Marijuana Legalization Measure Circulating, DeSantis Signs Bill Making It Harder To Qualify Ballot Initiatives<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Pennsylvania House Approves Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales Through State-Owned Stores<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill that would legalize marijuana with a novel model of state-run stores. This has been an especially fast-moving legislative process for the measure from Reps. Rick Krajewski (D) and Dan Frankel (D). It was introduced on Sunday, advanced throughContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":81164,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81163"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81163"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81165,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81163\/revisions\/81165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Pennsylvania House Approves Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales Through State-Owned Stores<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"