State Senators Introduce Cannabis Legalization Bill in Pennsylvania

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Oct. 15, two state senators in Pennsylvania introduced a bill that would fully legalize cannabis in the state, if it passes.

According to Fox 43, Sen. Daylin Leach and Sen. Sharif Street announced an official plan to end cannabis prohibition in their state through Senate Bill 350. “Pennsylvania’s cannabis policy is cruel, irrational and expensive,” Leach said. “Prohibition has destroyed countless lives and has cost taxpayers millions. We need to stop arresting our kids and funding violent drug cartels. This is going to be a tough battle, but so was passing medical marijuana. We did that, and we’ll do this too. The stakes are too high for us to fail.”

The two senators claim that their legislation would put a stop to all the harm that cannabis prohibition has caused, and fairly regulate a new, legal industry. The goal is to provide economic opportunities and education for low-income folks and offer grants and loans to people harmed by prohibition.

“An end to the prohibition of cannabis is overdue,” Street said. “It is time for us to join the emerging cannabis economy with the legalization of the Adult Use of Cannabis in Pennsylvania, which should not be a crime when responsibly used by adults nor mandate medical oversight. The economic imperatives are too great. We also have a moral mandate to correct the damage that disparate enforcement of our Marijuana Laws has done and is still doing to communities across the commonwealth.”

This bill would provide a framework for legal cannabis in the state, including outlining how cannabis tax money would be spent, as well as regulations regarding home cultivation, record expungement, delivery rules and more. However, it won’t be an easy fight due to the House of Representatives stating a few weeks ago that they have “no plans or interest in legalizing recreational cannabis.”