Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday again announced the introduction of legislation to legalize cannabis for adults, this time with a stronger emphasis on equity provisions. Democratic Reps. Jake Wheatley and Dan Frankel held a news conference on Tuesday, during which they released details of their latest legalization plan. In June, the pair tried to build momentum for this legislation through a memo that encouraged colleagues to join as sponsors. While House Bill 2050 is broadly similar to earlier cannabis legislation in the state, “this is a completely new bill with a lot of, we think, important improvements. We think we have the industry standard,” Wheatley said at the start of the conference on Tuesday. Wheatley pointed to the state’s existing medical cannabis program as an example of success, and said that one of the aims of the new legislation is to free up law enforcement resources so they can go toward more “significant, impactful crime and activity.” “If we have a standard to regulate and educate them about cannabis, and the utilization of cannabis, we think we can create a safer, more informed society,” Wheatley said.
Alyson Martin, Cannabis Wire, 09/28/2021 20:00:00