Pennsylvania Senate rejects adult-use cannabis bill with state-run retail

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As expected, the Pennsylvania state Senate rejected an adult-use cannabis legalization bill that limited marijuana sales to state-run retail outlets.

Tuesday’s rejection of House Bill 1200 by the Republican-controlled Senate Law & Justice Committee raised doubts about whether Pennsylvania can legalize recreational marijuana in 2025.

The defeat comes only a week after HB 1200 passed the House in the first vote in Pennsylvania history in favor of a cannabis legalization bill.

The quick dismissal came courtesy of Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin, the committee chair and a recreational marijuana supporter, who “made it pretty crystal clear” that restricting adult-use sales to state-run stores is a no-go, Spotlight PA reported.

That’s also the position of existing medical cannabis operators in the state, who rang up roughly $1.7 billion in sales last year.

In a statement Tuesday, legalization advocacy group Responsible PA praised Laughlin for quickly settling the matter and called on lawmakers to craft a viable bipartisan alternative.

But legalization supporters in the House, including HB 1200 sponsor Rep. Rick Krajewski, criticized Laughlin for dismissing the proposal without also providing bill amendments or even much of a discussion.

Tuesday’s committee hearing was an ideal time to float a bipartisan proposal that the House could revisit, Krajewski said.

“It’s fine if you disagree with elements,” he told Spotlight PA. “That’s why you have a discussion and compromise.”

Laughlin’s own bipartisan marijuana legalization proposal, which he co-sponsored with Democratic state Sen. Sharif Street, has failed to win support in the Republican-controlled Senate for the past few years.

And he has not yet formally reintroduced the measure this year, according to an official bill tracker.

Observers believe that including adult-use legalization in the state’s annual budget package is the most likely path forward for adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania, where lawmakers are on notice to find new sources of revenue to close a budget deficit.

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