Pennsylvania Representatives To Advance Adult-Use Bill
April 22, 2025A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers have announced an upcoming adult-use legalization bill, seeking buy-in from state Democrats and Republicans. The call for legalization comes from state representatives Emily Kinkead, a Democrat, and Abby Major, a Republican, with the pair noting that all of the states surrounding Pennsylvania have legalized adult-use cannabis sales and that, without legalization, Pennsylvania is ceding tax revenue to its neighbors.
While the final text of the bill is pending, Kinkead has put forward legalization bills in the past, including a version last year that did not advance. According to the bill’s sponsors, their vision of legalized cannabis in the Keystone State features a strong focus on erasing the black market, righting the wrongs of cannabis criminalization, creating jobs, and boosting the agricultural sector.
Adult-use cannabis is widely supported according to polls of Pennsylvanians, but Republican state legislators have blocked prior legalization efforts. Joanna McClinton, the state’s Democratic Speaker of the House, has said her party is ready to legalize but that they will need help from sympathetic Republicans. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has also stated that he would sign a legalization bill once passed.
While GOP opposition to legalization remains, there are signs that the tide could be starting to turn. Republican state senator Dan Laughlin recently wrote an op-ed for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette advocating for a portion of cannabis tax revenue to be put aside in a “Pennsylvania Legacy Fund” that would benefit future generations. Additionally, the House recently passed a bill improving safety and testing standards for the state’s large medical cannabis program, a framework that could be used when launching adult-use sales.—Shane English
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