The Pennsylvania Senate approved by a large majority a bill that allows all licensed medical marijuana grower/processors to directly sell their cannabis products to patients. There is also talk about expanding the legislation to include personal home cultivation.
In a 44-3 vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced the measure from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), who first previewed plans to file the reform bill late last year.
Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis law states that currently, only 25 businesses are eligible to be licensed as marijuana growers and processors. Only five of these licensees may sell directly to patients via vertically integrated dispensaries.
This has created a quasi-monopoly within the state and given select operators from out of state dominance in the industry, “to the detriment” of independent grower-processors, Senate Minority leader Jay Costa (D), , told Pennlive which reported the vote on Wednesday. The partial solution is to allow independent growers in the state to vertically combine.
Pennsylvania is yet to legalize adult-use marijuana, but there are growing expectations that it will follow other states in the region by allowing recreational sales. As the anticipation for the policy change grows, some businesses are feeling the strain. This is especially true as wholesale marijuana prices continue to drop and as multi-state operators continue acquiring smaller businesses.
To that end, some lawmakers have discussed using the bill that’s now advanced to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives as a vehicle for additional reforms, including the possibility of legalizing cannabis for adult use, or at least permitting medical marijuana patients to grow plants for personal use.
“There will be vigorous discussions on what form this bill will take when it returns to the Senate,” said Sen. Dan Laughlin, who is among a select group of GOP legislators to have championed legislation for legalization in previous sessions.
He said: “I doubt it will pass this chamber if this is a vehicle intended for adult use.” “However I think that if they add home-grown into this bill, it will strengthen the bill. I believe we would also be able get it through this Chamber.”
Sen. Camera Bartolott (R) was one of three senators that voted against this bill on Wednesday. Camera Bartolott, a Republican senator from California, said she was against the bill because it didn’t include provisions for home-grown crops.
Sen. Sharif Street, who sponsored legalization measures with Laughlin along the way, voted for the vertical-integration measure for growers, but he criticized the omission for home cultivation. He said “it is unconscionable to continue doing this without addressing issues that many patients have with cost. The best way to address that is to permit home-grown small amounts.”
Costa, the minority leader said that the legislation “gives me the opportunity to continue working not only in this area going forward, but also in recreational marijuana space, which will require further discussion.”
Laughlin Street filed a separate bill in July to expand the medical cannabis program of the state by allowing patients older than 21 to grow their plants for personal consumption. This came after bipartisan senators unveiled a new bill that would legalize marijuana for adults. Both bills have not yet advanced.
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In May, Pennsylvania House legislators filed separate bills to allow marijuana sales in state-run stores, and to permit farmers and small agricultural businesses to grow cannabis after adult-use sales become legal.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat from Massachusetts, supports cannabis reform. He proposed in March to tax and legalize adult-use marijuana.
After the election of last year, Democrats gained control of the House. Republicans still control the Senate but some Republicans, like Laughlin, and Sen. Mike Regan, have backed reform.
Laughlin sent a similar letter in February to the state’s law enforcement officials, urging them to take action to protect gun ownership rights for cannabis users and medical marijuana patients following a recent federal court ruling.
The Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted earlier this month to recommend the legislature amend the state’s Cannabis Law to permit podiatrists issue medical cannabis recommendations. The same board recently declined to approve another recommendation allowing patients to access edible cannabis products.
House Democrats Introduce Marijuana Legalization and Expungement Bill
Photo by Mike Latimer.
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