Medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania, but recreational use is still being debated. (Getty Images)
The legislature returned from recess Monday in Harrisburg, and a new bill aimed at legalizing cannabis was introduced by a bipartisan pair of legislators, Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) and Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny).
Multiple cannabis legalization bills have been introduced across both chambers this session, of which House Bill 2500 is only the latest. None have been taken up by either the House or Senate yet, but advocates say that momentum is on their side. The trick will be figuring out the details.
“I think it’s really interesting and valuable to be having technical conversations,” said Brittany Crampsie, a spokesperson for Responsible PA, a pro-cannabis lobbying group that represents many of the companies currently operating medical dispensaries in Pennsylvania. “It’s not a matter of is Pennsylvania ever going to legalize? These technical questions are a matter of how and when.”