It looks like Pennsylvania is making some noise in the industry with its new senate bill to legalize cannabis recreationally. If legalized PA would become the 11th state to fully legalize cannabis. Introduced by Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philly) and Sen, Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) the bill has been dubbed as the “gold standard” legalization bill for the free world. The issue was so important that Governor Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman(who looks like the character “Luther” that Kegan-Micheal Key portrayed at the 2015 White House correspondents dinner) hosted a 3-month state-wide listening tour to personally gather information on whether Pennsylvanians are ready for legalization.
Some of the main pieces of this bill are; immediate expungement of all cannabis-related convictions, allowing for cannabis lounges in the state and a mass improvement on Home-grow laws.
DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200
Now before you get all happy and start smoking your dirt weed in public, you should know that Pennslyvania is still CONSIDERING legalization. So there are still some hurdles to get over before it gets voted into law. Even though Gov. Tom Wolf says he is in favor of legalizing cannabis, there is no support coming from the Republican lawmakers (no surprise there). The Republicans are not only worried about the safety of their baby lungs, they are also afraid of what legalization may do to their 2nd Amendment rights.
Since cannabis is still a federally scheduled narcotic it means that it is illegal to have weed and protect it with a firearm. In the first-ever hearing on recreational cannabis in PA, the conversation was mostly about the rights of every gun owner in the state. I mean sure 66% of the city supports legalization but you won’t be silencing the 27% of Pennsylvanians that are packing heat. Let us not forget, this is the same state with the “rod of iron church”. You know, the church where everyone just wears bullet crowns and have their AR-15s out during prayer. If a church in PA gives couples the opportunity to just “accidentally” shoot their spouse at their own wedding vow renewal, I doubt, they will be changing gun laws anytime soon. So unfortunately many Pennslyvanians have to choose between the two.
What do you mean only 7 grams?
Another issue that PA is currently dealing with is the medical marijuana drought that has been happening since July. Even though there is are a growing number of medical patients, there seems to be a shortage of cannabis due to there only being 10 licensed cultivators in the whole state.
As if that wasn’t already bad, the regulation process is a bitch. It’s very time consuming and it doesn’t keep up with the demand of the new market. Luckily, the Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says that it’s a goal in the future to increase the number of growers/processors in the state. Until that happens, dispensaries in cities like Philadelphia have been forced to ration their supply (like it’s 1918) and have been restricting medical patients to 7 grams up to 14 grams if it is even available.
Every Narc’s wet dream
Another issue I have to mention is the Weed breathalyzer, every Narc’s wet dream. Some haters at the University of Pittsbittsburgh created a prototype recently and the damn thing works just like a regular breathalyzer but now it also checks for THC residue from your mouth. The good news is that it has a long way before it can become a reliable tool for local police and your average construction site managers.
Unlike Alcohol, there isn’t an accurate way to detect the level of how fucking “smacked” you are. There isn’t even an agreed-upon blood thc concentration limit so it, unfortunately, makes the rules arbitrary and leaves room for bias and unlawful convictions based on the fact that you still have THC in your system. I’m sure as more research is done, we will actually have an accurate THC breathalyzer and I’m sure I’ll be getting a DUI sometime afterward.
I’m sure this would put republicans on the fence with passing marijuana laws. Just for the simple fact that legalizing cannabis laws will likely add more high drivers on their roads but they would finally have a tool that can detect if someone is driving under the influence.
These pressing issues alone may set back Pennsylvania’s plan to quickly pass Marijuana legalization laws. However, the state still does have a chance next year with the elections because the whole state’s house of representatives will be up for grabs, as well as half of the senate seats. If they were to win a majority in both, they have a better chance of passing legalization laws in 2020.
What is in the bill?
Homegrow: Individuals would be allowed to cultivate 10 plants. That’s more than any other legal state. Homegrowers keep it for personal use or give it away but would be prohibited from selling it. Annual permit: $50.
Microgrowers: Small businesses would be allowed to grow up to 150 cannabis plants to sell to processors and dispensaries. Microgrowers wouldn’t be able to use the product themselves or sell directly to consumers. Annual permit: $250.
Dispensaries: Current medical marijuana dispensaries would be able to sell recreational weed as long as they kept their inventory and supply chains separate. There would be no cap on the number of potential retailers but ownership would be limited to three storefronts. Dispensaries would be allowed to hold permits to deliver cannabis and open a lounge where people could consume marijuana. To ensure safety of the products, dispensaries would be held liable “for civil treble damages” for harm caused by inaccurate labeling of sold cannabis. Permit: $5,000.
Bigger growers: So-called Big Marijuana would be kept in check. Permits would allow for no more than 150,000 square feet of outdoor weed farming or 60,000 square feet under indoor lights. There would be no limit on total number of growers, but each grower would be limited to an ownership stake in only one grow facility. Application would cost $100,000, annual renewal would cost $10,000.
Processors: Could purchase weed from big growers and microgrowers to render into pills, tinctures, vape cartridges, and concentrates. Permit: $1,000.
Delivery service: To get cannabis from dispensaries to consumers, individuals would be able to deliver by foot, unicycle, bike, automobile, bus, train, or armored car. Dispensary employees or independent contractors could serve as deliverers. Permits: $50.
BYOW lounges: Much like a bar is for alcohol, a public lounge would serve cannabis users and could be owned or attached to dispensaries. Lounge owners could sell admission but not sell product within the lounge premises. Customers required to bring (their) own weed. Most legal states do not offer lounges. Permit: $1,000.
Taxes: Set at 17.5%
Research: Colleges and universities could grow and process cannabis in conjunction with any classes they offer related to the weed industry. All product, however, must be destroyed and not used by any individual. Though the offer is attractive, most schools would be unlikely to participate for fear of being stripped of federal grants.
Social justice, expungement: All criminal convictions for cannabis-related offenses would be removed from a person’s record. Anyone incarcerated on a marijuana-related crime would receive a commutation. All supervision would cease. Pending criminal charges for cannabis would be dismissed.
Social justice, education: The Department of Agriculture would create a network of schools to offer classes for prospective cannabis entrepreneurs.
Social justice, grant program, and loans: Up to $2 million would be available as interest-free loans for low-income people who want to participate in the recreational marijuana industry who have prior cannabis-related criminal convictions.
Sources:
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Pennlive.com
Merry Jane.com
The Pennsylvania Capital Star
Washington Post
J420N.NET 