On Monday, the Cannabis Health & Safety Act (House Bill 1200) was approved by the House Health Committee by a 14-12 party-line vote. The cannabis legalization bill now moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
HB1200 was introduced by Reps. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) and Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) earlier this month.
“Pennsylvanians are using cannabis. We’ve got to be honest about that,” said Rep. Krajewski. “Think of something like a coffee shop, a consumption lounge, things like that. People where where people can purchase and consume small amounts of cannabis.”
According to a news release, the following are the Cannabis Health & Safety Act’s main priorities:
- The bill would clear criminal records and advance “restorative justice for those impacted by cannabis-related offenses.”
- It would reinvest tax revenue into communities hurt by the War on Drugs.
- The bill would implement “critical public health protections, including THC limits, marketing restrictions and child safety measures.”
- It would create pathways for “diverse and local entrepreneurs” to be involved in the local cannabis market.
- The bill would also maximize “state revenue and accountability with publicly owned and accountable retail stores.”
With the exception of West Virginia, the majority of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states have legalized cannabis for adult use.
“Prohibition was never about public safety – it was about control and punishment, targeting and devastating Black and Brown Pennsylvanians,” Krajewski said in a statement. “The cannabis industry has been monopolized by corporatized private equity and it is time to propose an alternative retail model that will benefit all Pennsylvanians. We need to repair the harms of criminalization, create family-sustaining union jobs and make this industry work for all of us.”
“The time is now for Pennsylvania,” in a statement, Krajewski said. “We have listened carefully to public health experts, criminal justice reformers, small business advocates, and community leaders. Our bill reflects what we’ve learned — that we can and must legalize cannabis in a way that is safe, equitable, and beneficial to all Pennsylvanians.”
The bill will first be heard in the House Health Committee which is chaired by Frankel.
The News is sourced from CBS News and abc 27 News
Post time: May-08-2025
