HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro has made recreational marijuana legalization a centerpiece of this year's budget proposal, but cannabis advocates and Pennsylvania lawmakers say such proposals could become part of a final deal. It is said that the gender is low.
Democrats who control the state Legislature have yet to reach an agreement on how to regulate the multibillion-dollar industry and incorporate those most harmed by drug criminalization into new markets. Meanwhile, lawmakers who decide what bills the Republican-controlled state Senate considers remain opposed to legalization.
State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), chairman of the House Health Committee, said passing a legalization bill in the June 30 budget is “probably not a realistic deadline.” .
Still, legalization advocates say they are closer than ever to success, citing allies in both parties, legalization in all but one federal neighbor, and a blueprint for passage of medical marijuana. I am doing it.
“We are on the path to achieving this,” Frankel told Spotlight PA.
Polls show the issue is popular among voters ahead of a contentious election in November. As of mid-June, three proposals have been introduced in Congress, two of which have bipartisan support, and more are expected.
The cannabis industry itself, which makes a lot of money in Pennsylvania, is pushing hard for legalization, employing dozens of lobbyists from at least nine companies to make its case to lawmakers. They primarily support legislation that would create a new regulatory commission specifically for marijuana and allow existing medical marijuana companies to move into the recreational market.
Legislative Democrats, who have spearheaded legalization negotiations this year, want to ensure those most affected by the criminalization of marijuana can participate in the new industry and ensure that legalization does not negatively impact public health. .
Chief among the obstacles is deciding how to build new industries.
In his budget speech in February, Shapiro called on lawmakers to impose a 20% tax on recreational marijuana sales. He estimated that doing so would bring in more than $250 million a year in tax revenue once the industry takes off.
Shapiro also called for the bill to include expungement of people with non-violent convictions for possession of small amounts of marijuana, and echoed legislative calls to include previously criminalized entities in the marijuana industry. . And he wants the state Department of Agriculture to regulate the industry.
He left the remaining details to Congress.
Mr. Frankel's committee subsequently held multiple hearings on the issue. He said he heard from “stakeholders” who, while often well-intentioned, “wanted to create a great business opportunity.”
That experience led him to help sell marijuana in state-run stores similar to existing stores that sell liquor and wine. Twenty-one other Democrats signed legislation creating such stores.
“If our main priority is to protect public health from the unintended consequences of for-profit commercialization, it is clear that a state-owned adult-use cannabis system could be the way to do it.” Frankel said.
Frankel argued that such a system would protect Pennsylvania farmers at the risk of the state managing a volatile, emerging industry.
“There's a lot to like about this mode, but there are certainly other ideas and approaches to consider,” he added, noting that his proposal would depend on support from colleagues.
Mr. Frankel also expressed interest in adopting some measures from Canadian law. One is to make edible flavors “unappealing to children” and require varieties such as broccoli or beetroot, rather than the candy-like varieties popular in states where adult-use cannabis is used. Dew.
The idea, especially state-run marijuana sales, is opposed by the industry and some advocates. But Frankel said he is unfazed by their concerns.
“I'm a little skeptical of bills that have broad and enthusiastic industry support. My experience is that sometimes the best policy doesn't satisfy all stakeholders,” he said in Spotlight. He told PA.
Reaching an agreement in the closely divided state legislature is just the first hurdle to legalization. The next, and even bigger, issue will be winning the state Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.
Legislative Republicans have long blocked action against marijuana, citing its federal status as a Schedule I drug, but the Drug Enforcement Administration says marijuana has “currently no recognized medical use and is subject to abuse.” “It's highly likely.”
President Joe Biden's administration began the process this year to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. But state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Ind.) told Spotlight PA in a statement that he still has concerns.
“I continue to hear from drug and alcohol providers in my district that they are concerned about marijuana use and its impact on addiction,” Pittman said. “I have long believed that this problem needs to be solved by the federal government.”
Those concerns are echoed by influential interest groups, including state manufacturers' associations, law enforcement agencies and some child advocacy groups.
But Meredith Buettner, executive director of the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition, an industry group representing medical marijuana permit holders, believes the right circumstances could compel the Legislature to act. The state currently has surplus funds, but faces long-term revenue issues that it will have to consider at some point.
“Something strange happened in Harrisburg in June,” she told Spotlight PA.
what is on the table
In addition to the bill that would create a national system for marijuana sales, there are two other bills currently before Congress.
One, by state Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), would regulate the industry and allow medical marijuana companies to sell to recreational customers. It would create a new licensing committee, which is a priority for existing sellers.
In response to calls for social justice, the bill would reduce permit fees and authorize grants and interest-free loans for “social and economic equity” applicants.
Such applicants must have an annual income of less than $75,000. They also must have been arrested for a non-violent drug offense or lived in an area with higher-than-average poverty and incarceration rates for at least five of the past 10 years.
The bill would also allow established drug distributors, such as multi-state publicly traded companies, to receive additional permits if they partner with equity applicants. Existing companies and other established cannabis operators could own up to 10% of a social equity client's business.
A bipartisan state House bill introduced Monday mirrors many of Laughlin and Street's proposals. However, existing companies will only be able to receive additional permits if their equity customers open.
The bill would also make the state Department of Agriculture responsible for regulating both existing medical marijuana programs and new recreational sales, rather than creating a new commission as Shapiro proposed.
“We are taking your best practices and your best ideas and putting them into this bill,” state Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) told Spotlight Pennsylvania.
Industry advocates support these proposals. But the language concerns Sheron Perry Thomas, a grassroots advocate for adult-use cannabis who previously worked as a marijuana distributor.
She told Spotlight PA that contracts between established companies and budding entrepreneurs are “predatory”. She also argued that established companies should not hold any equity in startups from black and brown communities harmed by the over-policing and criminalization of marijuana consumption.
Instead, she hopes the law will encourage business partnerships between small rural farmers and urban entrepreneurs.
“We want a right of first refusal for communities impacted by the war on drugs,” Perry Thomas told Spotlight Pennsylvania.
She also agrees with the marijuana industry on some suggestions. She agrees that Pennsylvania needs a new regulatory authority specifically for marijuana and that selling cannabis products through state-run stores, as Frankel has proposed, would put pressure on small producers. .
Mr Street said he had heard concerns about social equity and that negotiations over the exact wording would be a top priority in the coming weeks.
“We agree that the language as written is not enough and more needs to be done,” Street told Spotlight Pennsylvania.
He proposed allowing small, licensed producers to sell their products in special areas dedicated to cannabis, similar to farmers' markets.
Getting equity provisions in place is a challenge for other states. Connecticut officials are auditing the Marijuana Program's Equity Council, which is responsible for verifying applicants' eligibility and distributing grants to affected communities. An industry-backed bill in Pennsylvania includes a similar mechanism. Meanwhile, New York State struggled to find funding for equity grants and ended up terminating contracts with private equity firms.
State Rep. Napoleon Nelson (D-Montgomery), chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, told Spotlight PA that any legalization bill would be fair to communities that are subject to “over-policing and over-criminalization.” He said it was a priority for the bill.
He did not go into detail about specific policies that would win the bloc's support in a closely divided Congress.
“We should say what we're for, not what we're against,” Nelson said.
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