[[{“value”:”
A bipartisan bill to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania was filed on Monday – the first day after lawmakers returned from recess, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R) and Emily Kinkead (D), is the latest of the session, during which none have been considered in either legislative chamber.
The measure includes a 5% excise tax paid by cannabis sellers and an 8% sales tax on retail products. Cannabis-derived tax revenues would be distributed among municipalities that have cannabis dispensaries, a cannabis business establishment fund, and toward addiction prevention, recovery, and treatment services. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency would also receive funds and distribute them to local law enforcement across the state and to indigent defense funds. Cannabis industry regulation would fall mostly under the Department of Agriculture.
The bill also includes expungement provisions and would allow those currently incarcerated for non-violent cannabis charges to apply for resentencing and commutations. Additionally, the proposal includes social equity provisions that would allow qualifying individuals to apply for state-sponsored grants and low-interest loans to start cannabis businesses. Majority-minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses would be given priority under the legislation.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has signaled support for the reforms, going so far as to include potential revenue from cannabis sales taxes in his 2024 proposed budget.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
Have an additional perspective to share? Send us a message to let us know, and if your comment is chosen by our editors it could be featured here.
Perspective to add? Suggest a revision or submit commentary for review using the form below.
Note: our editors approve comments that provide new and succinct insight to our audience. If your comment is chosen for publishing, it will appear at the end of the article along with your name, job title, and organization. If you have a profile in the Ganjapreneur Business Index, your comment will also include a backlink for reference. If you are suggesting a correction, we will look into the issue further.
TG joined Ganjapreneur in 2014 as a news writer and began hosting the Ganjapreneur podcast in 2016. He is based in upstate New York, where he also teaches media studies at a local university.
Ganjapreneur is made possible by our partners:
“}]] A bipartisan bill to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania was filed on Monday – the first day after lawmakers returned from recess, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R) and Emily Kinkead (D), is the latest of the session, during which none have been consi Read More