Two Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday introduced new legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana in the Keystone Stone.
Democratic State Reps. Jake Wheatley and Dan Frankel, both from Allegheny County, introduced House Bill 2050, reports WPXI. The bill’s language makes it legal for anyone 21 and over to buy and consume marijuana.
The proposed bill would also help people and communities disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of Cannabis.
The state Departments of Revenue, Agriculture, Health and the attorney general’s office would be responsible for overseeing the program.
Cannabis growers and processors would have to contract with an independent lab to test marijuana at multiple points before sale, reports WGAL.
There is a “clean slate” provision in the marijuana bill.
‘Pennsylvania Can Begin To Repair The Historical Harms’
“Failed cannabis policies of the past have resulted in the worst of all possible worlds: insufficient protection of the public health, aggressive enforcement that disproportionately harms communities of color and zero revenue for this commonwealth,” said Frankel.
“With this legislation, Pennsylvania can begin to repair the historical harms and reap the benefits of a fact-based approach to regulating the cultivation, commerce and use of cannabis for adults over 21 years old,” Frankel said.
‘We Think We Have The Industry Standard’
“We’ve heard from residents across the state, and the overwhelming majority agree it’s time to pass this initiative,” Rep. Wheatley said.
Wheatley first introduced similar legislation in 2017.
“We think we have the industry standard,” Rep. Wheatley said at a Tuesday press conference with supporters, reports Marijuana Moment. “You’ve heard me over and over again, year after year, talk about this important issue. For some, it’s an economic question. For others, it’s a question around access and opportunity. But the baseline of why I’ve been harping on this for as long as I have is the social and criminal justice reform aspects.”
Wheatley also acknowledged that “there’s real significant opportunities within our Commonwealth to increase our revenue from an industry that we see is growing all across all of our neighbors.”
Pennsylvania Governor Signals Support
Gov. Tom Wolf has signaled his support for legalizing adult-use Cannabis.
If passed, Pennsylvania would join 16 other states that have legalized adult-use recreational marijuana.
