There is a renewed effort in Harrisburg to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in Pennsylvania. “This bill is really comprehensive and includes a lot of the input from stakeholders of every background to make sure that we’re crafting what we’re really hoping stands out as a gold standard of legalization in the U.S.,” said Pennsylvania State Rep. Emily Kinkead (D) of District 20. Kinkead and Rep. Abby Major (R) introduced House Bill 20 this week to make recreational cannabis legal for people 21 and over in the commonwealth. Kinkead explained that the idea is to allow for recreational marijuana to be sold through private industry, similar to its medical counterpart. “It would allow current dispensaries that sell medical marijuana to convert over and also to sell recreational marijuana,” Kinkead told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. Doug Whaley, the owner of the Glass Whale in Lawrenceville, said he believes it’s a great idea if done properly. For him, that means making sure small businesses benefit too. “Versus just allowing big business to come in and monopolize. Then you just kind of get, you know, batched product,” Whaley said. Black Bear Hemp Dispensary is operational under the federal Farm Bill and sells third-party tested hemp in western PA. Founder Jesse Worsk expressed appreciation for leaders’ efforts to keep cannabis conversations going. However, he noted a lack of regulation when it comes to the hemp industry. “If HB20 really comes into place, the current operations that we have go into real jeopardy, I’ll be honest with you,” Worsk said. “It has been more of a placeholder for Black Bear Hemp Dispensary to serve our community and then hopefully transition into adult-use cannabis, but the hemp market is vast, I’ll be honest.”Worsk said that not all hemp operators take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of products.He added, “Both of the bills introduced lately included a merit-based application system, so I do feel like operators who have decided to go into the hemp space like Black Bear has, do hold a great opportunity if they’ve been doing things the right way too.” According to Kinkead, if PA becomes the 25th state to legalize marijuana, there is potential for 30,000 new jobs and a steady revenue stream. The state representative said the bill also focuses on social equity and justice reform by proposing a “clean slate” policy for people with cannabis convictions. “By legalizing, we are allowing these folks to kind of restart, you know, their lives and not have these kind of weighing over their head,” Kinkead said. The legislation features a “Community Opportunity Fund,” which provides grant opportunities to social equity applicants and aims to invest in communities. The bill has been referred to the Health Committee.
There is a renewed effort in Harrisburg to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in Pennsylvania.
“This bill is really comprehensive and includes a lot of the input from stakeholders of every background to make sure that we’re crafting what we’re really hoping stands out as a gold standard of legalization in the U.S.,” said Pennsylvania State Rep. Emily Kinkead (D) of District 20.
Kinkead and Rep. Abby Major (R) introduced House Bill 20 this week to make recreational cannabis legal for people 21 and over in the commonwealth.
Kinkead explained that the idea is to allow for recreational marijuana to be sold through private industry, similar to its medical counterpart.
“It would allow current dispensaries that sell medical marijuana to convert over and also to sell recreational marijuana,” Kinkead told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
Doug Whaley, the owner of the Glass Whale in Lawrenceville, said he believes it’s a great idea if done properly. For him, that means making sure small businesses benefit too.
“Versus just allowing big business to come in and monopolize. Then you just kind of get, you know, batched product,” Whaley said.
Black Bear Hemp Dispensary is operational under the federal Farm Bill and sells third-party tested hemp in western PA. Founder Jesse Worsk expressed appreciation for leaders’ efforts to keep cannabis conversations going.
However, he noted a lack of regulation when it comes to the hemp industry.
“If HB20 really comes into place, the current operations that we have go into real jeopardy, I’ll be honest with you,” Worsk said. “It has been more of a placeholder for Black Bear Hemp Dispensary to serve our community and then hopefully transition into adult-use cannabis, but the hemp market is vast, I’ll be honest.”
Worsk said that not all hemp operators take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of products.
He added, “Both of the bills introduced lately included a merit-based application system, so I do feel like operators who have decided to go into the hemp space like Black Bear has, do hold a great opportunity if they’ve been doing things the right way too.”
According to Kinkead, if PA becomes the 25th state to legalize marijuana, there is potential for 30,000 new jobs and a steady revenue stream. The state representative said the bill also focuses on social equity and justice reform by proposing a “clean slate” policy for people with cannabis convictions.
“By legalizing, we are allowing these folks to kind of restart, you know, their lives and not have these kind of weighing over their head,” Kinkead said.
The legislation features a “Community Opportunity Fund,” which provides grant opportunities to social equity applicants and aims to invest in communities.
The bill has been referred to the Health Committee.
