Pennsylvania lawmakers are scheduled to consider a bipartisan bill next week that would create a new regulatory body to oversee the state’s existing medical cannabis program while preparing to eventually handle the adult-use market as well.
About three months after the legislation was filed by Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) and 16 other members from across the aisle, the Senate Law & Justice Committee—which the sponsor chairs—is now set to take it up at a hearing on Tuesday.
While the proposal wouldn’t legalize adult-use cannabis as the lead sponsor has supported, it would establish a regulatory infrastructure that could be used to oversee such a program.
Laughlin, who has sponsored legalization bills in the past, previewed the measure in May, writing that Pennsylvania should first take steps to make sure the state is “ready to act when legalization becomes law” by establishing a Cannabis Control Board (CCB) now.
“Legalization of adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania is no longer a matter of if, it is when. And when that day comes, the state should not be scrambling to build a regulatory system from scratch,” he said. “A transparent, efficient framework should already be in place, one designed to support a safe, well-regulated cannabis industry
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