After wrestling with whether legalizing adult-use cannabis could curb demand on the black market earlier this month, a Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate committee on Monday heard from experts on how — if the state moves ahead with legalization — to regulate the product and ensure economic growth.
The two-hour Senate Law and Justice Committee hearing was one in a series of meetings to evaluate the possible benefits of legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania and draft oversight measures.
Pennsylvania’s neighbors — New York, Virginia, and New Jersey — have legalized recreational cannabis. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, changed his stance on adult-use cannabis in 2019, joining Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in calling for legalization.
There also is growing support for similar legislation among Pennsylvania residents. An October 2021 poll by Franklin & Marshall College showed 60 percent support among registered voters for cannabis legalization.
Sen. Mike Regan, R-York, who chairs the Senate panel, announced plans to introduce legislation legalizing adult-use cannabis to help fund law enforcement last fall alongside state Rep. Amen Brown, D-Philadelphia. Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, became the first Senate Republican to support adult cannabis use, introducing a legalization...
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