14-07-2025
Pennsylvania Lawmakers File Recreational Cannabis Legalization Bills
Pennsylvania lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the state Senate have introduced separate ... More bills to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.
Pennsylvania could be the next state in the union to legalize recreational marijuana after lawmakers introduced two bipartisan legalization bills in the state legislature.
On Monday, Democratic state Rep. Emily Kinkead and Republican Rep. Abby Major introduced a bill to end the prohibition of cannabis, according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. If passed, House Bill 20 would legalize and regulate personal cannabis possession and use by adults.
The measure would also establish the Keystone Cannabis Authority and task the new agency with regulating the medical and adult-use cannabis industry in Pennsylvania. The legislation also includes provisions to regulate the production and distribution of cannabis products and levies a sales tax and an excise tax on such goods. Additionally, the bill creates a Community Opportunity Fund to foster social and economic equity, among other provisions.
On Monday, cannabis policy reform advocate Brit Crampsie, spokesperson for the group ResponsiblePA, said the cannabis legalization bill would help Pennsylvania lawmakers balance the state budget.
'The state needs to close a growing budget gap,' Crampsie said in a press release cited by online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. 'Communities across this state would benefit immensely from the jobs brought by regulated cannabis as laid out in this bipartisan piece of legislation—this includes both rural and urban communities that are getting hit hard by the lack of funding for essential state programs from transportation to healthcare systems—as well as looming federal funding cuts.'
'Voters clearly want legalization now and cannot afford drastic tax hikes,' she added.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed separate legislation to legalize recreational marijuana on May 10. The measure, House Bill 1200, would have legalized cannabis sales for adults through a network of state-run cannabis dispensaries, but a Senate legislative committee declined to advance the measure.
Senate Weed Legalization Bill Introduced Last Week
The introduction of Kinkead and Major's bill came only days after a bipartisan pair of state senators introduced separate legislation to legalize recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania, where medical marijuana was legalized in 2016. If passed, the measure (Senate Bill 120) from Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin and Democratic Sen. Sharif Street would 'create a regulated, equitable framework for cannabis use, cultivation and sales, while merging oversight of both medical and adult-use programs under a new independent Pennsylvania Cannabis Control Board.'
Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized medical cannabis in 2016.
'Adults should have the freedom to use cannabis responsibly, and Pennsylvania should have a legal system in place that ensures safety, accountability and fairness,' Laughlin said in a press release. 'This legislation delivers that while keeping marijuana out of the hands of kids.'
Street said the legislation also focuses on repairing past harms caused by decades of marijuana prohibition.
'This plan legalizes cannabis in a way that lifts up communities impacted by prohibition,' Street said. 'It includes expungement of low-level offenses, creates real opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses and reinvests in neighborhoods most harmed by past enforcement.'
Laughlin and Sharif's bill got a boost last week when Democratic Rep. Amen Brown announced he would soon introduce a companion measure in the House of Representatives. The lawmaker said he 'fully' supports the new Senate bill because he has 'seen firsthand the devastating impact of outdated cannabis laws on our communities, particularly communities of color.'
'This legislation is about more than economic opportunity; it's about justice, equity, and creating a responsible framework that benefits all Pennsylvanians,' Brown said, according to a July 12 report from GoErie. 'I'm proud to stand in bipartisan partnership to move our Commonwealth forward.'
After Brown signaled his intention to introduce the cannabis legalization bill, Laughlin said his colleagues in the Senate could no longer ignore the issue.
'I firmly believe that if the House passes our language, that we have a path to get this done,' he said.
