The Republican senator from Pennsylvania is supporting the effort to legalize pot in Pennsylvania at this critical moment, as the reform bill has passed the House of Representatives and will now be sent to the Senate.
In an interview with The Standard-Journal published Monday, Sen. Gene Yaw, (R), said that prohibition has historically “not turned out well.” He cited the experience of alcohol criminalization in this country.
He said that cannabis should be regulated the same way as alcohol or gambling. Tax it, and try to do our best in this regard. It makes no sense to say we’re preventing such things by not legalizing cannabis.
The comments came in the same week that the Democratic-controlled House passed novel legislation to enact legalization, with state-run stores. This legislation was a bipartisan effort, which raised questions as to its chances in the GOP controlled Senate.
Yaw stated in an interview from February that both tobacco and alcohol have “been used for thousands of year” just as marijuana. He said that only marijuana is still strictly illegal.
Yaw at the time said, “I don’t think marijuana differs from other substances.” We’ve taxed and regulated marijuana.
Senator McConnell noted that Pennsylvania legislators have passed numerous reforms to cannabis laws in recent years. He said that despite never having supported medical marijuana in the past, he now supports it and votes for it.
In the new interview published this week, Yaw said he thinks “both the Senate and the House would support a bill” to legalize cannabis, though he didn’t specifically endorse the measure that cleared the House on Wednesday.
It is not clear whether the Senate will pass this bill. If it does, the GOP controlled chamber is expected to require significant changes.
The largest challenge for the legislation going forward will likely come down to its proposal to have the state control cannabis sales—a regulatory model that exists in no other legal market in the U.S.
Pennsylvania’s Governor, along with key senators from both sides in the debate over marijuana legalization, has strongly indicated that the newly passed House bill must be amended to have any chance of passing the GOP controlled Senate.
The House passed a novel piece of legalization legislation on a narrow party line vote on Wednesday. Both Democratic and Republican senators said that it would be incredibly difficult to pass the bill in the Senate. Key lawmakers are focused on provisions to put state-controlled marijuana stores, like the way alcohol is sold by Pennsylvania.
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.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has been calling for legalization of marijuana use by adults, and he included the issue in his three most recent budget requests. He has not endorsed a specific state-controlled marijuana model.
Key Pennsylvania lawmakers have already made clear that they’re at odds on the path forward for legalization—while a top Republican senator recently dismissed the idea that the reform is achievable at all this session.
Frankel said that his plan for state-run marijuana legalization will “be the bill we see”, adding that he has worked “hand in hand” with Democratic leaders.
Rep. Abby Major (R)—who is sponsoring another forthcoming legalization bill that envisions a traditional private sales model alongside Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)—said on the floor on Wednesday that she stands opposed to the competing bill, emphasizing that she disagrees with the state-run stores proposal.
Regardless of which direction Pennsylvania lawmakers do—or don’t—go on marijuana legalization session, a survey released last week 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.
Meanwhile, a Republican Pennsylvania senator 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.
The Senator said that, instead of using the tax money to pay for day-to-day services and projects, the State should set aside some of it for “a source of sustainable prosperity for future generations”.
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.”
Another Democratic lawmaker said 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.
The reform is stalled in part because of GOP opposition. Polls show that legalization has bipartisan support among voters. 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.
—
MEDCAN24 has been tracking the hundreds of bills relating to cannabis, psychedelics or drug policies that have passed through state legislatures as well as Congress in this past year. Patreon subscribers who donate at least $25/month have access to the interactive maps and charts as well as our hearing calendar.
Discover more about the marijuana bills tracker. Become a patron on Patreon for access.
—
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 think this is a matter of liberty and freedom. 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 drive to other states, and pay taxes there.
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.
Ohio legislators hear from critics who say that the bill would undercut a voter-approved marijuana legalization law
Brian Shamblen provided the photo.
MEDCAN24 could not exist without readers’ support. Consider a Patreon subscription if our marijuana advocacy journalism is what you use to keep informed.
