Is Weed Legal in Pennsylvania?

People can access medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. This requires an application process that qualifies a person to receive a medicine card according to their diagnosed condition.

Recreational weed is not legal here yet. However, Pennsylvania Senator Mike Regan said in October 2021 that the state is “losing out on at least $1 billion every year” because of it. In addition, he mentions that people can buy it anywhere, and cops and prosecutors aren’t arresting or prosecuting people for it. Apparently, marijuana cases are “clogging up the courts.”

Recreational Weed Bill

In the beginning of October in 2021, Pennsylvania Representatives Jake Wheatley and Dan Frankel introduced House Bill 2050. This bill, commonly referred to as H.B. 2050, would allow anyone at least 21 years of age to purchase and use recreational marijuana.

House Bill 2050 Revenue

The state already has plans to use H.B. 2050 revenue to fund small business grants for women and minorities. Proceeds earned would come from marijuana sales taxes. Businesses negatively affected by Covid-19 would probably receive the first batch of funding earned from cannabis sales.

However, it may extend to other causes in the future. Some other ideas of how to use the money include student loan payback, after-school programs and low-income housing assistance.

Adult Usage Terms

If Pennsylvania legalizes weed before other states according to their third-quarter 2021 proposal, they would become the 16th state to do so. Some fine tuning probably will occur regarding adult use limits, but proposal summaries state that they must use it in private – no public consumption allowed. They also can grow up to 50 square feet of the cannabis plant on their private residence.

Search and seizure might occur if violating these or future terms established by Congress. Apparently, summaries of legislation terms also say adults could possess any amount of cannabis and gift up to one ounce of it.

Business Licensing Terms

Any business that wants to grow, process or distribute or sell marijuana must purchase the appropriate licenses. Before obtaining the license that pertains to the nature of a specific cannabis business, the state will conduct financial background checks. However, these investigations won’t necessarily disqualify persons with criminal histories from selling cannabis products. In fact, some dealers with prior charges might have those cases expunged.

Production Standards

All marijuana produced upon passing of the H.B. 2050 bill would also require laboratory setup inspected and approved by the Department of Health. Every stage of production, especially at harvest and final processing, must undergo laboratory testing.