Democrats are taking another swing at legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania.
House Reps. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, and Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, are circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation they are drafting. It’s the latest in a string of legislation over the past few years aiming to legalize marijuana.
Frankel and Krajewski want to expunge convictions for those affected by the state’s drug laws, reinvest money into communities they say have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs, limit marijuana with excessive THC levels as well as prohibit predatory marketing and packaging and prevent accidental use by children; and provide business opportunities in the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania.
Krajewski, who led the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired five hearings to examine the successes and failures of cannabis programs in other states in the previous legislative session.
“We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates. We’ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue,” said Krajewski. “It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind.”
Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, speaks during a meeting earlier this year.
Twenty-four other states – including nearly every state that shares a border in Pennsylvania – have already legalized recreational marijuana. Polls show that cannabis decriminalization is popular among Pennsylvanians across all political parties.
Frankel, who is majority chair of the House Health Committee, said that the criminalization of cannabis has been disastrous for the commonwealth, particularly within communities of color.
“We have a moral obligation to not only legalize but also to work to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana arrests,” Frankel said, noting that many states’ newly legal markets have struggled due to poor regulation and legal attacks from out-of-state cannabis corporations. “Our bill will deliver a market that protects the public health, benefits our taxpayers and uplifts those communities that were disproportionately harmed by prohibition policies.”
Parts of the bill are similar to what Gov. Josh Shapiro included in his executive budget proposal in July, though the marijuana legalization language did not garner legislative approval. As a new revenue stream, Shapiro wants to legalize adult-use marijuana, following the example of neighbors Ohio, New Jersey and New York. Shapiro’s administration estimates the industry would eventually yield $250 million in additional annual revenue. He also called for expunging records of those incarcerated for marijuana, and using $5 million for restorative justice.
