While some states have reached a stride with legal cannabis, others have been fighting in recent weeks for the same. The Pennsylvania House is moving quickly on a new legalization bill. Meanwhile, Nebraska lawmakers are attempting to change an already passed initiative, much to the chagrin of constituents who voted in its favor.
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Legalization efforts come in packages of all shapes these days, and these two states are taking their own roads to safe access. Whether they are worth building is yet to be determined.
Pennsylvania quickly moves legalization bill through House
The Pennsylvania House is quickly moving legalization legislation through committees. Representative Rick Kajewski introduced House Bill 1200, which is now supported by 27 other Democratic cosponsors.
“Prohibition was never about public safety — it was about control and punishment, targeting and devastating Black and Brown Pennsylvanians,” Krajewski said in a press release. “The cannabis industry has been monopolized by corporatized private equity, and it is time to propose an alternative retail model that will benefit all Pennsylvanians.”
HB1200 establishes a state-run retail model meant to block corporate powers from controlling the potential Pennsylvania cannabis industry. The bill would task the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board with establishing state cannabis stores. PLCB would also license private growers, processors, transporters, on-site consumption lounges, and labs.
Cannabis excise taxes are currently proposed at 12 percent, and municipalities are given the choice to tack a three percent tax on lounges. The kitty would cover administrative costs, expungement facilitation, community reinvestment, substance misuse treatment, and cannabis business development. Anything remaining is slated to go to the state general fund.
Minor possession would be downgraded to a fine-only summary offense at the point the bill becomes a law. Once official sales begin, possession will be fully legal. People will be allowed to carry up to 42.5 grams. Those caught with double that amount will be fined $250, and anyone with triple that amount will be subject to a $500 fine.
If the bill passes as is, home growers can grow up to two mature plants, provided they apply for a $100 permit with the state. There are also protections for employees, medical patients, gun owners, parents, and professionals to stop discrimination for responsible consumption.
Concerns are loud as lawmakers push bill through
The Marijuana Policy Project expressed concern that the model is a “costly boondoggle” that will not actually turn into legal access for Pennsylvanians. Gibran Washington, CEO of Ethos Cannabis dispensary, believes this model adds unnecessary bureaucracy, stifles future growth, and disrupts the currently tightly regulated medical market.
“Empowering the private sector within a strong regulatory framework—like many successful states have done—is a better path forward,” Washington said to GreenState. “It encourages competition, supports job creation, and ensures a more responsive and equitable cannabis market for Pennsylvanians.”
If HB1200 makes it to the Senate, it will likely be edited and amended before continuing to the governor’s desk. The bill is in its third review in the House, the previous vote succeeded 102-t0-101 with all House Democrats voting in favor. If the HB1200 makes it to the Republican-dominated Senate, it could face more challenges. Still, Democrats are hoping to pull it through.
“We need to repair the harms of criminalization, create family-sustaining union jobs and make this industry work for all of us,” Krajewski stated in the release.
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Nebraska to ban smoking
Nebraskans voted for medical cannabis in the recent election, passing a ballot initiative that allows for the possession of up to five ounces of cannabis for medical patients. A partner ballot initiative created the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to establish all the moving pieces of the market. Despite 71 percent voter approval, the governor remained opposed to reform. Perhaps that sentiment has influenced how things are playing out in the Cornhusker State.
There are yet to be any licenses or retail stores in place, instead, lawmakers are arguing LB 677. The bill is instrumental in establishing the medical market because it would enact the four percent excise tax, but Nebraskans are concerned about other rules packaged in the legislation.
LB677 seeks to ban smokeable flower and reduce possession amounts from five ounces to two. Senator Rick Holdcroft explained to KETV that these measures are meant to promote medical use over getting high.
“That’s our big concern. They’re not going to use this for medical purposes. They’re just going to use it to get a high,” Holdcroft said to KETV.
Advocates and those who voted in favor of medical cannabis have expressed disdain that their votes were not enough for the lawmakers parsing through the methods of medical use. The elected representatives held public forums over the last week to hear constituents’ worries and hopes, and will continue debating the bill. May 29th is the final day to pass a bill in this Nebraska legislative session, which leaves weed reform down to the wire.
The race continues in two new markets
Both Pennsylvania and Nebraska are writing brand-new ways to legalize weed. A state-run dispensary model has yet to be established in the U.S., and some are skeptical. This legislation has a way to go before it hits the governor’s desk, so worries could be amended before things are finalized.
As for Nebraska, that is a more harrowing tale. Medical patients waiting for weed are potentially going to be barred from smoking it. This tried-and-true consumption method is a fast-acting way that some seek relief, and, hopefully, they let their reps know in those public forums.
Both of these sagas are set to conclude in the next few weeks–let’s hope there’s weed access in that part.
