For six years, residents of the Commonwealth with medical needs have had access to cannabis through the state’s medical marijuana program. While that program has remained robust, many of our neighboring states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. One of the most recent, Ohio, is primed to open their market with the lion’s share of their licenses perched on the border of Pennsylvania as they seek to take capture Pennsylvania dollars into their market.
Accordingly, we believe that now is the time for Pennsylvania to move in a similar direction and our bill establishes strong tenets for an adult-use market.
Specifically, this bill:
- Establishes parameters for an adult-use program under the Department of Agriculture;
- Creates guardrails around the licensed sale and legal use of cannabis that will help eradicate the illicit market;
- Provides support for small businesses to participate in the market, prioritizing rural, minority, female, and veteran-owned businesses in particular;
- Establishes robust guidelines for the labeling, packaging, and advertising of products to ensure that products are not marketed to children and adolescents;
- Implements a “clean slate” policy and criminal justice reforms for residents with cannabis-related convictions;
- Provides funding and supports for law enforcement to enforce cannabis regulations;
- Provides funding for local municipalities with cannabis businesses;
- Leverages our agricultural infrastructure and supports local farmers;
- Generates new revenue for the state and creates jobs.
We hope this bill will act as a strong starting point for discussions around legalizing adult-use cannabis in a thoughtful and strategic way. Please join us in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation.
Bill language is attached.
Statutes/Laws affected: Printer's No. 3636: P.L.6, No.2