‘Potential new cash crop’ for Pennsylvania farmers

Ag secretary sees legalizing weed as a viable venture

When it comes to marijuana legalization, Gov. Josh Shapiro envisions Pennsylvania being the first state in the nation to put its agriculture department in charge of this new industry.

After all, he sees cannabis as “a potential new cash crop for our farmers” and considers it to be part of his economic development strategy for the state.

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding told the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday that he is excited about the opportunity for his department to take on this assignment and is grateful the governor has the confidence in his department to handle it.

That confidence grows out of having monitored the lessons learned in Pennsylvania’s adjoining states that have legalized adult use cannabis and the agriculture department’s experience in introducing industrial hemp, Redding said.

Further, he said, “we take the vote of confidence in what we have done around plant and animal and food and experiences with regulations and all of that is transferrable.”

Redding referred to his department’s role in the proposed cannabis program as the quarterback of a team that will involve a lot of other players including the governor and legislators.

But Republican committee members seemed unconvinced that agriculture is the right agency to regulate it.

“It seems like this is going to be a very large complicated project for you to be working on in the Department of Agriculture,” said Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga County, after commenting on how busy the department is with all of its current responsibilities. “It does seem a little odd to go to the Department of Ag.”

Redding didn’t downplay the effort that would go into launching the program, calling it “a huge task. No question.” But he added,

“I don’t want to forfeit any economic opportunity for Pennsylvania agriculture.”

He said it isn’t often when a new crop is introduced and said, “We’re really good at growing things.”

For it to work, though, Redding told the committee “it’s got to be really resourced well” with the right personnel, leadership and structure.

Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny County, asked if the $5 million included in the governor’s budget to administer this program was sufficient. Redding said he considered that to be “a marker” and referred questions about how that amount was arrived at to the governor’s Budget Secretary Uri Monson when he comes before the committee on March 7.

Republican members expressed frustration about the governor’s proposal to help fund his $48.3 billion budget without providing legislative language to implement it for them to vet.

Shapiro’’s budget proposal anticipates the program being implemented by July 1. Taxes are expected to generate $14.8 million in revenue the first year, rising to $250 million by the fourth or fifth year of implementation. According to the Independent Fiscal Office, California, Washington, Colorado, Illinois and Michigan all generated more than that last year in tax revenue.

House Republican Appropriations Committee Chairman Seth Grove of York said without legislative language, the cannabis proposal was nothing more than a blank sheet.

“You yourself, you’re implementing a blank sheet so you can’t actually comment on it,” Grove said to Redding.

Democrats on the committee didn’t touch on the issue in their questions during the nearly threehour hearing.