Bipartisan Pennsylvania Lawmakers Argue Over Strategy To Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill

In the Pennsylvania Legislature, there’s been more finger-pointing and friction over the effort to legalize cannabis for adult use. One Republican senator is sponsoring reform legislation and insisting the House make the initial move. Another Democratic representative is pushing back against that suggestion.

Dan Laughlin is the chairperson of the Senate Law and Justice Committee. He said Tuesday that he would negotiate with both the Senate and Governor after the House had “passed the text in my bill and sent it to my Committee.”

The Democratic-controlled House, however, has already advanced a legalization proposal this session that called for a state-run sales model. This measure was quickly quashed by Laughlin’s Senate committee. The GOP member and others insisted that a more conventional approach would be better, namely licensing private businesses.

When asked by MEDCAN24 Tuesday why he would not simply try to get his bill through his committee before delivering it to the House Laughlin replied that the other chamber must pass the litmus of “they are able to pass my language” using a version companion from Rep. Amen (D).

Pennsylvania Rep. Ryan Bizzarro’s (D) noticed Laughlin’s X posts and said he is willing to interrupt his month-long absence from social media to express his criticism.

“Send the House something so we know you’re/the Senate is *actually* serious about adult use, & we’ll make figure out a path forward. “We have proven that we have the numbers to pass,” said the legislator. You have not yet shown anyone your skin [in] The game. “Call a meeting of the Senate committee, vote in it, then send us your idea.”

We are willing to collaborate with you in the area of adult usage. Bizzarro told us, “The ball is now in your hands.” “We’ll be there.”

In response, Laughlin—who recently said supporters in the legislature are “picking up votes” to legalize cannabis—said he knows “the ball is in my court,” which is “why I explained in detail how this gets done. Pass it now [Brown’s] “Send me the bill.”

Bizzarro said that in the House “we already have votes”, and added “it is time for you to get them.”

The social media spat comes as lawmakers continue the years-long debate over enacted comprehensive cannabis reform—a policy supported by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D), who has recently stated that he will not “concede” in his plan to legallyize adult-use of cannabis via the budget.

Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way overstated” potential revenue.

Stacy Garrity in Pennsylvania (R) referred to Ohio’s adult-use marijuana market, launched this year. She said, “They have generated approximately $115 millions of revenue.” And while the populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected $536.5 million in cannabis revenue in the first fiscal year of implementation.

However, she did say that, if Pennsylvania goes ahead with enacting reforms, “I’ll make sure it’s banked properly.”

Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Democratic senator recently said that federal marijuana rescheduling—which President Donald Trump said he’d be making a decision on imminently—would be “very influential” in advancing legalization in his state, giving “political cover” to GOP members on the fence about reform.

Sen. Sharif Street (D) discussed the status of cannabis legalization efforts in the Keystone State, including a bipartisan proposal to end prohibition that he filed alongside Laughlin last month.

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However, the legalization bill that was passed by the House with its state-run model isn’t dead. It can still be used to further reform. Democrats in the House have recently urged the public to press state senators into signing off on a cannabis bill, saying that it will benefit the health of the people and the safety as well as bring billions of revenue to the Commonwealth.

The reform in the state legislature has been stalled for years due to the GOP’s 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.

Scott Martin (the influential Appropriations committee chair) said in an earlier statement that, despite the opposition of Senate Majority leader Pittman, he would not be moving forward with any legislation legalizing adult-use.

Separately, just days after Laughlin and Street filed their measure, Reps. Emily Kinkead (D) and Abby Major (R)—alongside eight other cosponsors—filed legislation in the House to enact the reform. The pair have previously championed other proposals to end prohibition.

Laughlin and 16 other lawmakers also recently filed a separate bill to create a new regulatory body in the state that would begin overseeing medical cannabis while preparing to eventually handle the adult-use market as well.

Separately, a recent poll found 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.

Meanwhile, a Democratic lawmaker recently filed a bill that seeks to require employers to cover the costs of medical cannabis for qualifying patients receiving workers’ compensation.

Philip Steffan provided the photo.