Pennsylvania Is ‘Substantially Closer’ To Legalizing Marijuana With Vote Coming As Soon As This Month, Lawmaker Says

The Pennsylvania legislature is “substantially closer” to reaching a deal on marijuana legalization, and an initial vote on a bipartisan cannabis reform bill could come as early as this month, a Democratic lawmaker says.

Rep. Emily Kinkead (D), who has sponsoring adult-use marijuana legalization legislation, spoke about the status of negotiations around the issue in an interview with The Philadelphia Citizen that was published on Wednesday.

While the path forward for legalization in the Keystone State remains murky this session, Kinkead said “we’re closing in on getting to a place where we can all have a conversation and get this across the finish line.”

“We are substantially closer than we were a year ago, or even six months ago,” she said, adding that it’s possible her cannabis bill could move through a House committee within weeks. “The reality is that if we do this right, everybody’s going to walk away from the table slightly dissatisfied.”

The lawmaker also said that discussions around cannabis reform might show divides within the legislature, where GOP resistance has stalled past legalization proposals, but even those who’ve voiced opposition to various marijuana measures aren’t “saying ‘no’ to the idea [of legalization] in and of itself.”

“I think it’s a great indicator that there’s so many people talking about it, including the negative comments,” she said. “They’re saying the proposal isn’t what they want it to be, but they’re not saying ‘no’ in any of it.”

“We have to make sure that it’s realistic to get these stores up and running,” she added. “We also have to make sure that people harmed by the criminalization of cannabis are able to get into the market and benefit from its legalization.”

Meanwhile, a Republican Pennsylvania senator is calling for the creation of a state “legacy” fund, using tax revenue from adult-use marijuana sales and gaming to make long-term investments in the Commonwealth’s economy.

In general, leadership in the legislature has given mixed signals about whether there’s enough support among members to advance legalization. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) also included the policy change in his latest budget request.

Last week, Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) said that Democrats are ready to pass a marijuana legalization bill this session, but that the party “will need Republican support” to get the job done—adding that it will be a “heavy lift.”

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—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats.

Rep. Rick Krajewski (D)—who announced in December his intent to file a legalization measure alongside House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel (D)—also recently said the policy would provide for “more responsible usage” of cannabis, compared to the status quo that’s left adults either buying from the illicit market or traveling across state lines to get regulated products.

Separately last month, the Pennsylvania House approved a bill sponsored by Frankel that’s meant to strengthen safety standards and oversight of the state’s medical marijuana program as lawmakers work to advance adult-use legalization.

While Pennsylvania’s 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.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would allow farmers and other small agriculture operators to sell marijuana they cultivate to existing growers and and processors if the state moves to legalize adult-use cannabis.

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Also, in a video interview released last month, the governor emphasized that the state is “losing out” to others that have already enacted adult-use legalization, while maintaining a policy that’s enriched the illicit market.

“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,” he 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.”

Pennsylvania’s Republican attorney general recently said he wants to be a “voice for potential public safety risks” of enacting the governor’s proposal—though he said his office would be ready to enforce the new law if lawmakers did vote to pass it.

The state’s agriculture secretary separately told lawmakers that he’s fully confident that his department is in a “really good” position to oversee an adult-use marijuana program if lawmakers act.

Meanwhile, in February, top Pennsylvania police and health officials told lawmakers they are prepared to implement marijuana legalization if the legislature moves forward with the reform—and that they stand ready to work together as the details of legislation to achieve it are crafted.

Amid the growing calls for marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania, a GOP state senator said prohibition has been a “disaster,” and a regulated sales model for cannabis—similar to how alcohol and tobacco are handled—could serve as an effective alternative.

A Republican Pennsylvania senator also recently defended the push to legalize and regulate marijuana, calling it “the most conservative stance” on the issue.

Meanwhile, a new poll shows that Pennsylvania voters say they favor a model where cannabis is sold by licensed private businesses, rather than through a system of state-run stores as some legislators have promoted.

Pennsylvania Governor Will Put Marijuana Legalization In His Budget, But Top GOP Senator Remains Skeptical

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.