Pennsylvania Democratic legislators from both chambers are working to find a compromise in marijuana legalization within the next couple of weeks, after the Senate killed a bill passed by the House to implement the reform and establish state-run shops. A sponsor in the House of this legislation has indicated that he is open to dropping controversial elements such as state control.
In an episode released Thursday of the podcast “Planting Seeds”, Sen. Sharif Street (D), spoke to Rep. Rick Krajewski, (D), about how to move forward with reform. They both want to pass a bill legalizing marijuana through the Legislature and onto the Governor’s desk by July in order to meet the budget deadline.
Street expressed his cautious optimism that “we’re going be able [to] revive the Bill and amend it, and then move forward with work product which allows us to put a bill before the governor and achieve revenue.”
Street, who opposes the state-run system envisioned in Krajewski’s bill, said that Republicans hold only a small majority of seats in the Senate. A bipartisan version would need to carefully be crafted. There’s a “pretty profound distrust” in the Senate regarding the Liquor Control Board, which would oversee cannabis shops under the House bill.
Street still sees a “real good chance” of the bill being “revived, and that we can move forward.”
“We’re still having discussions—and this is still a big, big, big step, because even though that bill was voted down, the Senate still has it,” he said. Street has been in contact with Sen. Dan Laughlin who, along with Street, cosponsored a separate bipartisan legislation on legalization and chairs the Senate panel which recently rejected House Bill. Street stated that the Republican senator is “certainly open to further discussions” and would be willing to continue.
We’re still in touch. We’re friends. I believe we can pass a bill and get the revenues we desire. He said that there was a pressure on revenue. “We’d like to get this done before July, which means there could—they’ll go to the governor’s desk in the next few weeks. This is not impossible.”
Senator emphasized the fact that HB 1200 was “a work of great importance” and “a result of a tremendous amount effort”.
“We’re close to legalizing marijuana than we have ever been,” he stated. “I will also say that both Republican and Democratic Members indicated that they would support a Cannabis Legalization Bill in their remarks. The members were not prepared to support this bill.
Street reported that Laughlin had indicated to Street that senators have been preparing a revision to HB1200 in order to reconsider it. Krajewski, meanwhile, indicated that, while he believes that Pennsylvania’s state-run system of stores would make a good regulatory model, he is not opposed to making changes to it. He also said that he was “surprised” by the Senate Committee voting to reject the bill rather than holding the vote and preparing a possible amendement.
In addition, it is worth noting that the House of Representatives also followed a very unusual process when passing the marijuana sales bill. This was because the entire legislative cycle, from its introduction through to its passage, took only three days.
“You have the conversation and come up with an amendment to figure out the compromise for moving forward—and I’m prepared to do that,” Krajewski said, adding that Frankel too “is prepared to do that.”
He said that neither he nor his colleagues had indicated the model we presented in the bill was a “line in the sand.” “I don’t think I am naive when it comes to how the House of Representatives and Senate feel about the LCB. But, what we wanted to do was put out a proposal in an exchange of ideas.”
He also said that he was “optimistic about the future of some sort of legalization” and that he felt “excited and very proud to have taken this historical step.” “I remain open to discussing and negotiating the bill which makes sense in the end.”
With respect to the timeline—with an ambitious goal of passing the reform before July—Street said “reviving and advancing 1200, logistically, it’s the cleanest way, the quickest way of getting this done. “I think it makes perfect sense.”
“When we do finally get past these stupid federal regulations and amend them, Pennsylvania is going to have an industry that’s some of the best in the nation—and we’ll be able to supply not only the commonwealth, but the nation and the world,” he said.
Krajewski noted that building consensus around a legalization bill is also complicated by the fact that “you still have some Democratic members who kind of tout and parrot these reefer madness talking points where you’re like, ‘What the heck are you talking about?'”
“Achieving that broad spectrum to support one bill was a huge effort,” he added of HB1200.
Street, who said that Laughlin was his co-lead for prior legalization legislation, would be open to a conversation about amending the rejected bill by the Senate Committee, suggested recently that the GOP senator should put a halt to the efforts to enact a policy change due to resistance within his own caucus. Instead, he proposed that the lawmakers pass a law to establish a regulatory agency that could begin to oversee medical cannabis and hemp, while preparing themselves to handle adult-use markets as
“I am committed to drafting a marijuana bill that will pass the Senate, and then be signed into legislation to benefit Pennsylvanians,” Laughlin stated. “That starts with honest dialogue from everyone involved, including House leadership and the governor, to develop a realistic approach–not political theater.”
Meanwhile, the governor of Pennsylvania is criticizing the GOP-controlled Senate for “ignoring” the will of voters after killing the House-passed bill to legalize marijuana.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, (D), said in an interview recently with WILK News Radio that rejecting the bill does a disservice not only to the majority of bipartisan voters who favor legalization but also to the state that loses out on tax revenues to other states which have adopted the policy.
Shapiro, a Shapiro who has included legalization as part of his budget requests for the third consecutive year, stated that “clearly people want it.” It’s clear from poll after survey.
After the Senate Committee vote on legalization, legislators from both chambers have traded criticisms over each other’s role in the stagnant push to end the prohibition.
Prior to the Senate panel’s vote this week, Pennsylvania’s Republican attorney general said that while he doesn’t currently support the House-passed marijuana legalization bill, he’s open to changing his mind about the policy change after continuing to review the details.
For what it’s worth, 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.
He has called on the legalization of marijuana for adults. He has not endorsed a specific state-controlled marijuana model.
Rep. Abby Major (R)—who is sponsoring another forthcoming legalization bill that envisions a traditional private sales model alongside Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)—said during the House floor debate on HB 1200 that she stands opposed to the competing bill, emphasizing that she disagrees with the state-run stores proposal.
Even though Democrats have control of the House, Governor’s Office and Senate, they still must reach an agreement with Republicans to bring about change. This political dynamic, in conjunction with the divergent perspectives of pro-legalization politicians, is another possible barrier to change.
Senate Majority leader Joe Pittman said that he does not see a consensus among the four caucuses, the Governor and themselves on a separate reform of gaming. [marijuana legalization] Priority is important.”
Regardless of which direction Pennsylvania lawmakers do—or don’t—go on marijuana legalization this session, a survey released in April shows a majority of adults in the state support the reform—and opposition to the policy change has fallen by nearly 50 percent over the last decade.
Kinkead has made the case in another recent interview that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania will help the state mitigate public health and safety concerns associated with the illicit market, including the fact that unregulated products can be laced with fentanyl.
The lawmaker previously introduced a separate bipartisan marijuana legalization bill, alongside 15 other cosponsors, last September. However, it did not move forward.
Meanwhile, Laughlin recently called 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.
Senator argued, that the state, in addition to using tax revenues to finance day-today public projects, should also set aside a part of these tax dollars to create a “sustainable source of prosperity” that would last for many generations.
Another GOP Pennsylvania senator, Sen. Gene Yaw (R), is backing the push to legalize marijuana in the commonwealth, pointing out that, historically, prohibition “has not turned out well,” noting the country’s experience with alcohol criminalization.
Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) recently 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.”
In polls, there is bipartisan support among voters for legalization, but it has been stymied in the legislative branch, in part due to GOP resistance. 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.
Separately in March, 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.
Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program has been in place for nearly 10 years. However, legislators say that the bill, now headed to the Senate to be voted on, will improve compliance with testing, audits of products, and laboratory inspections amongst other industry aspects.
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.
Separately, an independent Pennsylvania agency is projecting more tax dollars to be generated from adult-use marijuana sales compared to what the governor’s office has estimated, although it expects significantly less overall revenue from cannabis legalization due to differing views on licensing fees.
Pennsylvania officials launched an online survey asking legal marijuana companies across the nation to submit information about their businesses. The aim is to better help Pennsylvania understand the cannabis business as it considers adult use legalization in this session.
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Also, in a video interview released in March, 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 believe it is an issue of freedom, and I support that.” He said that if people want to smoke they should have the option to do it in a way that is safe and legal. “We should shut down the black market—and, by the way, every state around us is doing it. Pennsylvanians pay their taxes and drive into other states.
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.
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Mike Latimer provided the photo.
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