Legalization

New York and New Jersey allow adults 21 and over to use marijuana. In the fall, Maryland voters approved adult-use legalization with a ballot question and now lawmakers are rolling out planned changes.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigned on legalizing cannabis for adults. Two Republican state senators have come out in support of legalization. But Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, in November said the federal government would need to remove its prohibition before she would want to talk about legalizing recreational cannabis here.

There has been little action in the legislature since the new session began as Republicans and Democrats have wrestled for control of the state House. Democrats won a narrow majority in the state House with three special election victories on Tuesday.

More Democrats than Republicans support legalizing cannabis. But it is not clear if there are enough votes to pass adultuse legalization. Nicole Reigelman, a spokesperson for state House Democrats, told Spotlight PA the caucus supports improving the “medical marijuana law to ensure employment protections for medical marijuana cardholders and to address DUI penalties, so long as a person is not impaired.”

“Any expansion of the marijuana industry for adult use would need to emphasize health and safety, social justice, and equity, as well as supporting the industry’s workforce,” Reigelman said in an email.

Patrick Nightingale, an attorney and executive director of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, hopes the change in power will result in cannabis bills at least receiving committee hearings in Harrisburg.”When the Republicans were in the majority … they appointed the committee chairs, and if their leadership didn’t want something moving through committee, it didn’t,” Nightingale told Spotlight PA. “That barrier no longer remains.”