Pennsylvania Senators from both parties have introduced a bipartisan bill to expand the medical cannabis program in the state by allowing patients over 21 years of age the right to cultivate their own plants.
The legislation, which was filed by Sens. Sharif Street (D), Dan Laughlin(R), and six other senators would allow registered cannabis patients to grow up to six plants.
Patients would be able buy cannabis seeds from medical marijuana dispensaries, who could then grow the plants in their home in a locked and enclosed area that is out of sight for “ordinary” people.
The owner of the property must give permission for a person to grow marijuana if they don’t own it.
The bill referred to Senate Law and Justice Committee does not appear to limit the number of plants a household could own if it has more than one medical cannabis patient registered.
In a memo to seek co-sponsors, the two senators stated that Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana (MMJ), program had provided lifesaving medicine for communities throughout the Commonwealth since the passage of Act 16 back in 2016. There are, however, still many inefficiencies with MMJ, particularly when it comes to access and cost.
“The PA Department of Health stated that patients from some counties have to travel over two hours to reach a dispensary,” said. This is not possible for many Pennsylvanians. Patients have also expressed concern about the affordability of medicine as well as the increasing costs.
“Policy must meet people where they live. We can ease the accessibility and cost burdens of medical marijuana by allowing patients to grow cannabis at home. This legislation will go a long ways towards helping Pennsylvanians to meet their health requirements and ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally under Act 16.”
If you cultivate more plants than allowed under the law, or if you give away cannabis plants or products, penalties may apply, including losing your home-grown rights.
Street and Laughlin recently released a bill that would legalize adult marijuana use.
The two senators had previously sponsored a bill for legalization that was not ultimately passed last session. However, they claim that the newly submitted proposal represents an improvement they hope to promote.
In a memo to colleagues seeking co-sponsorship for the legalization bill, the senators highlighted that polling showed adult-use legalization was “supported by two thirds of Pennsylvanians, and has a majority support in rural and suburban legislative districts, as well as urban and rural legislative districts.”
The state is expected to receive between $400 and $1 billion in taxes from legalization.
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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.
In February, Laughlin sent a similar letter to the state’s law enforcement officials, urging them to take action to safeguard gun rights of cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients in light of a recent federal court ruling.
Street, the sponsor of the newly-filed legalization bill surprised some advocates recently when he joined other senators to urge a federal court to not authorize an overdose prevention center site for Philadelphia while supporting a proposed ban on harm reduction centers in the state.
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The article Bipartisan Pennsylvania senators file bill to allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own plants first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
