Bill To Make Marijuana Legal Introduced In Pennsylvania

New legislation that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania has been introduced in the state senate.

Senate Bill 350, proposed on Monday, would allow anyone 21 and over to consume cannabis, while establishing cannabis lounges and freeing those imprisoned on certain cannabis-related charges.

The bill is co-sponsored by two Philadelphia area state legislators: State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery and Delaware), and State Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia).

“We’ve had a cruel, irrational and expensive policy on cannabis for more than 80 years,” Leach said in announcing the legislation. "Prohibition has destroyed countless lives and has cost our taxpayers millions of dollars."

The bill would allow households to grow up to six marijuana plants at once. It could not be smoked in public, but businesses could allow it on their premises.

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Ten states around the nation have now legalized marijuana use, and 33 have legalized it for medicinial purposes. It's not yet clear how much support the bill has in the conservative Pennsylvania state legislature, though Leach and Sharif point to a 2017 poll that shows 60 percent of residents would support ending marijuana prohibition.

The bill comes as other leaders seek to gauge public support for the idea. Governor Tom Wolf has set up an online feedback form where residents can submit their feedback on legalizing recreational marijuana, and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has been conducting a listening tour across the state to hear from residents about the issue.

Officials are hopeful a licensing process for growing marijuana will eliminate gang business.

"It’s time we walk into the bright sunshine of enlightenment and stop arresting our kids and funding violent drug cartels," Leach added. "This will be a tough battle, but so was passing medical marijuana. We did that, and we will do this. The stakes are too high for us to fail."

Specifically, there will be a "micro-licensing" process for prospective growers which is designed to empower those from "underserved and distressed areas" which have been disproportionately harmed by prohibition.

The proposal calls for tax revenue from cannabis growth being directed towards the state's public education fund. That money would then be disbursed to school districts through the state's fair funing formula.

Not all marijuana-related charges would be wiped out. Only convictions for three charges — possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis paraphernalia, and possession with intent to deliver under one ounce — would be wiped clean. Anyone imprisoned on those three charges would be freed, and pending charges would be dismissed.

The bill will now circulate the state senate as a memo, and all other legislators will have the opportunity to add their name to a co-sponsorship list before it's put to the floor for discussion and a vote.